Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was barred from the Lok Sabha on Thursday for "repeated misconduct" awaiting a probe by the privileges committee. After the suspension, the Congress leader stated that it was not his intention to insult Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking with media, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stated: "I have not insulted PM Modi. Modi ji speaks on everything but on Manipur issue, he is sitting 'Nirav', which means sitting silent. 'Nirav' means to be silent. My intention was not to insult PM Modi... PM Modi did not feel that he was insulted, his courtiers (darbari) felt so and brought this proposal against me. I came to know that (the matter) has been referred to the privilege committee and I have been suspended."
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi proposed Chowdhury's suspension, claiming that he disrupts the House anytime Prime Minister Narendra Modi or ministers speak while a discussion is underway. The motion was passed by a voice vote.
The move against its floor leader was described as "unbelievable" and "undemocratic" by Congress.
Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said: “First time for speaking against Modi, largest opposition (party) leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury suspended. Unbelievable. Undemocratic. Condemn the autocracy.”
According to a Congress leader, this is perhaps the first time the leader of the main opposition party has been suspended from Lok Sabha.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Congress Chief Kharge stated: "Thank you Prime Minister At last you spoke in the House on the Manipur violence. We are sure that the pace of restoration of peace in Manipur will be faster, people from relief camps will return to their homes. He will be rehabilitated, justice will be done to him. If you had given up your stubbornness and arrogance earlier, the valuable time of the Parliament would have been saved. Important bills would have been passed with good discussion. We are pained that on an unprecedented issue like the Manipur violence, the opposition had to use a parliamentary weapon like a no-confidence motion. But you also used the House as an election rally. In the last phase, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary was suspended, which is very undemocratic and unfortunate. It reflects the arrogance and maliciousness of the authorities. This tradition will prove very fatal for both the constitution and parliamentary democracy. We strongly condemn it."
Speaking in the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Joshi said, “It has become habitual for him (Adhir) and it has become most unfortunate. He is the leader of the Congress party, which is the largest party in the opposition in this House. Despite repeated warnings he has not improved himself.”
“Always in his debate he makes these baseless charges, he tries to lower the dignity of the government. There are no facts in his arguments and he never apologises. Today also, we demanded that he apologise. He did the same thing when the home minister was speaking,” Joshi said.