India Parliament stalled as 12 MPs remain suspended |
A confrontation over the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament from the Opposition parties stalled the proceeding of the winter session of India`s Parliament on the second day on 30th November. Rajya Sabha Chairperson, also the Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, refused to reconsider his decision. Naidu criticised the 12 suspended MPs saying that their behaviour in the Upper House during the Monsoon session was an “act of sacrilege” as the Parliament is the “temple of democracy”. He defended the decision to suspend them stating that these lawmakers have not expressed any remorse, rather they were justifying their actions. Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the motion for suspension moved by the government had been in “gross violation” of the procedure with the Chair not even allowing his point of order. Congress and some Opposition party MPs walked out and also forced adjournments in the Lok Sabha. However, there was an indication of the fault lines in the opposition camp. Trinamool MPs only walked out a short while after the Congress walkout, saying that not the opposition, but 80 NDA MPs who should be suspended for blocking discussions. The entire day on 30th November saw both sides trading charges. Ice was broken at a meeting between Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with floor leaders in the evening. The Opposition leaders are understood to have agreed to participate in discussions starting December 1. TRS remains determined to raise the demand for a law on minimum support prices by entering the well. The likely situation in Rajya Sabha was not clear.
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