Parliamentarians of the Indian National Development Alliance (INDIA) bloc will today march from the Parliament building to Vijay Chowk in Delhi on the issue of suspension of opposition MPs in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, news agency ANI reported.
India Bloc leaders will hold a meeting at Opposition Leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s Rajya Sabha office.
Members of the India Caucus also planned a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday against the suspension of their MPs.
143 opposition MPs were suspended from both houses of Parliament over the past week after they staged protests and raised slogans demanding a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the December 13 security breach incident.
On Wednesday, the total number of suspended MPs reached 97 in the Lok Sabha and 46 in the Rajya Sabha.
The Opposition, including the Congress, termed the move dictatorial and said it damaged the country’s democratic goodwill.
“Deputies had the right to ask questions in Parliament. Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely on Wednesday said that a large number of people from across the city will raise their voices against the undemocratic move during the protest.
“Most of the All India Bloc leaders, including the suspended MPs, are expected to participate in the demonstration (on Friday),” Indian Congress Party spokesman Mukesh Sharma said.
After the House suspended the Opposition members, the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a circular outlining strict measures restricting the suspended MPs from various parliamentary activities.
The circular detailed the repercussions of the suspension, as it stipulated that representatives be prevented from entering the parliament hall, lobby, and corridors for the duration of their suspension.
Meanwhile, the stalemate between the Opposition and the government deepened on Wednesday over Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee imitating Rajya Sabha Speaker Jagdeep Dhankar on a mobile camera carried by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. The act has drawn condemnation from President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhankar and other Union ministers and BJP MPs.
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