'Time To Write Obituaries For...': Shashi Tharoor, Oppn Leaders React As Parliament Suspensions Continue

MPs from opposition parties came down heavily on the ruling BJP after 49 more MPs were suspended from Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The end to Parliament chaos does not seem in sight anytime soon as 49 more MPs were suspended from Lok Sabha on Tuesday bringing the total number of suspensions to 141. The opposition came down heavily on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party saying that they want a “Opposition-mukt Lok Sabha”.

“It is clear that they want an Opposition-mukt Lok Sabha and they will do something similar in Rajya Sabha. At this point, unfortunately, we have to start writing obituaries for Parliamentary democracy in India,” said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who was among the MPs suspended on Tuesday. 

The MPs suspended on Monday staged a protest outside the new Parliament building and later at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. 

Speaking on the same, Tharoor said: “Today, in solidarity with my colleagues, I too joined the protest and everybody who was present has been suspended for the rest of the session which means they want to pass their Bills without any discussion. I think it is a betrayal of Parliamentary democracy..."

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused the BJP of making "graveyard of democracy". 

"You have thrown out the entire Opposition. No action has been taken against the MP who issued passes (to the security breach accused). A new rule is being set for the new Parliament - have sleeping pills and come here as you are not allowed to open your mouth and ask questions," she said. 

Another suspended MP, Dimple Yadav said, "This is ultimately the failure of the government." 

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who was suspended on Monday, said, “It is nothing but anarchy inside the Parliament. They (BJP) do not have an iota of faith in the parliamentary system in our country.”

Among the MPs suspended on Tuesday were Shashi Tharoor, V Vaithilingam, Supriya Sule, Farooq Abdullah, Danish Ali, Karti Chidambaram, Dimple Yadav, Manish Tewari, Mala Roy, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Jasbir Gill, DNV Senthilkumar, Santhosh, Rajeev Ranjan Singh, Santhosh Kumar, Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Ravneet Singh Bittu among others.