Parliament Day 2: Naidu refuses to revoke MPs’ suspension, Oppn walks out of both Houses

In the Lower House, members of the TRS trooped into the Well demanding a law on MSP and compensation for the kin of farmers who lost their lives during the year-long agitation.

On the second day of the Winter Session of Parliament, Opposition parties walked out of both the Houses, protesting against Chairman Venkaiah Naidu’s refusal to revoke the suspension of 12 MPs. In the Lok Sabha, the Opposition demanded a debate over farmers’ demands, such as a law for MSP (minimum support price).

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, along with other party leaders, had raised the matter of the suspension of the 12 MPs due to their “unruly behaviour” in the Monsoon session. However, Naidu asserted that the “decision is final”. The Chairman pointed out the suspended members did not show remorse over their alleged unruly acts that invited the suspension order, so “I am not considering”.

Following this, the Opposition members walked out of the Upper House, boycotting the day’s proceedings. Demonstrating in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue inside Parliament complex, they raised slogans and placards against the government, stating that the BJP government was “killing democracy” and “muzzling voice of Opposition MPs.”

In the Lok Sabha as well, the MPs led by Congress’ Sonia Gandhi and DMK’s TR Baalu staged a walkout.

“The government wants to threaten the Opposition and suppress their voice by suspending its members in Rajya Sabha. We cannot keep quiet about the suspension of our members in the Rajya Sabha,” Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader in Lok Sabha, said, adding that they will “oppose such dictatorial attitude of the government.”

The Trinamool Congress was not a part of the protest, nor did it walk out of the Lok Sabha. However, its MPs in Rajya Sabha walked out a short while after the other MPs, following their leader Derek O’Brien’s remark that instead of the 12 Opposition MPs, the 80 MPs of the treasury benches should be suspended as they blocked certain discussions during the previous Monsoon Session.

He further took to Twitter to state that from Wednesday onwards, the suspended MPs — six from Congress, two each of Shiv Sena and TMC and one each from CPI and CPM — will be sitting in dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue.

Reacting to Naidu’s remark over showing remorse, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Apology for what? For raising the issues of the people in Parliament? Never!”

In the Lower House, members of the TRS trooped into the Well demanding a law on MSP and compensation for the kin of farmers who lost their lives during their year-long agitation.

Following repeated adjournments over the din, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House after Law Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill 2021.

The government, meanwhile, asked the Rajya Sabha chair to discuss the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 — the only legislative business for the afternoon — on Wednesday as it wanted the Opposition to participate in it. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi was quoted as saying, “As far as I know, they (Opposition parties) have walked out for the day… if they are coming tomorrow we can take up this Bill tomorrow. We want to run the House with opposition and (through) discussion. Our party is the most democratic. Our leader is also very democratic.”

— with PTI inputs

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