In a significant turn of events, leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc are set to lead a protest against the suspension of 146 opposition MPs in the national capital on Friday. The Members of Parliament, suspended from the Parliament’s Winter Session, will gather at Jantar Mantar at 11 am to voice their dissent.
The protest comes in the aftermath of the adjournment of the Winter Session, which concluded on Thursday, leading to the suspension of 100 MPs from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha. The suspended lawmakers, demanding a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah regarding the Parliament security breach incident, have faced criticism for creating disruptions and ruckus during the sessions.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, one of the suspended lawmakers, emphasized the need for the protest to showcase opposition unity. Tharoor stated, “The INDIA alliance protest will happen everywhere tomorrow (Friday) morning in all the states because we want to show the public that if they’d run Parliament like this and won’t listen to the opposition, then they are ruining democracy.”
The protest is not limited to the national capital, as Aam Aadmi Party MPs, including ND Gupta, Sandeep Pathak, Sant Balbir Seecehwal, and Sanjeev Arora, are set to join the INDIA bloc protest, indicating a broader participation across various states.
The nationwide discontent also extends to the Congress Party, which has scheduled protests at all district headquarters today, aligning with the opposition’s stance against the suspension of MPs.
The suspension of lawmakers has sparked controversy, with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressing concern over the loss of nearly 22 hours in the Rajya Sabha due to avoidable disruptions. Dhankhar criticized the use of disruptions as a political strategy, emphasizing that such actions do not align with the constitutional obligation of prioritizing the interests of the people.
Amid the protests, John Brittas of CPI(M) highlighted the severity of the situation, stating, “We are protesting against the brutal killing of democracy; the democracy has been massacred.” Brittas called for constitutional amendments, suggesting that the Centre should declare India as a monarchy, expressing frustration over what he perceived as an Opposition-Mukt Parliament.
As the nation witnesses these widespread protests, the focus remains on the ongoing debate surrounding the suspension of opposition MPs and its implications on democratic principles.
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