Oppn MPs' Suspension: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Gives Reason For Action

Attacking the Congress, Pralhad Joshi said the party is "not responsible when in power and most irresponsible when in opposition."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday opened up on the mass suspension of MPs during the recently-concluded winter session and said that many of the opposition leaders themselves requested suspension after action was taken against some of their colleagues. He said the government was never keen to take such a step and requested the opposition leaders to allow the proceedings of the House. 

As many as 146 MPs – 100 from the Lok Sabha and 46 from the Rajya Sabha – were suspended during the winter session of Parliament for unruly behaviour.

He said the opposition was free to move court against the three new criminal laws if they think something was wrong with the draft legislations approved by both Houses of Parliament.

"We did not want to suspend MPs, we requested them. But after we suspended a few MPs, several of their colleagues came with requests to us seeking suspension. This is the level the Congress stoops to," Joshi said in a press conference in Delhi. 

The minister said the Centre's floor managers had told the opposition MPs that action was taken against those indulging in indiscipline by bringing placards to the House. "They told us that they will also indulge in indiscipline and wanted us to suspend them," the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, quoted PTI.

At the outset, Joshi said the Winter Session which concluded on Thursday, was by and large the last session of the 17th Lok Sabha as the Budget Session would approve the Vote on Account and was unlikely to transact any legislative business.

Attacking the Congress, he said the party is "not responsible when in power and most irresponsible when in opposition." The leaders of the opposition's I.N.D.I.A leaders have staged a 'Save Democracy' protest across the country against the suspension.

Speaking to the press, Joshi said the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha was historic as it saw abrogation of Article 370 and the just concluded Winter Session saw the shedding of the vestiges of the British-raj from the criminal justice laws, quoted PTI.

Joshi went on to attack Rahul Gandhi and said the former Congress president was "enjoying" and videographing the action of a fellow Lok Sabha member mocking a Constitutional authority.