In a 50-hour relay protest against their suspension by the Rajya Sabha chairman, the suspended MPs spent the first night outside within the Parliament Complex. The MPs were seen checking their phones as soon as they woke up on Thursday morning, according to videos posted online, news agency ANI reported.
Seven members of the TMC, six from the DMK, three from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), two from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and one each from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were suspended on Monday and Tuesday.
"I want the Modi govt & the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to apologize to the people of Gujarat. BJP has been ruling there for 27 years, several people died in the state after drinking spurious liquor. I wanted to have discussions on this issue in Parliament," AAP MP Sanjay Singh was quoted by ANI on its official Twitter handle.
The authorities refused the protesting MPs' request for a tent since no structure may be placed inside the premises. They were, however, permitted to use the toilet at the Parliamentary library's restroom.
Derek O'Brien, a Trinamool MP, uploaded a photo of his colleagues prepared to sleep in the open air, claiming that the parliamentary affairs minister instructed suspended MPs not to protest for 50 hours.
The opposition parties have prepared a regional meal for the MPs, which includes idli-sambar, chicken tandoori, gajar ka halwa, and fruits. The roster is being disseminated on a dedicated WhatsApp group, keeping everyone up to date on the day's plans, according to PTI.
(With Agencies Inputs)