AMN / NEW DELHI
Seven Congress MPs have been suspended from Lok Sabha for the remainder of the budget session for “unruly behaviour and disrespect to the chair”.
Lok Sabha presiding officer Meenakshi Lekhi named Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi, TN Prathapan, Desn Kuriakose, Rajmohan Unnithan, Manick Tagore, Benny Behnan and Aujla soon after the house met at 3 pm after an hour-long adjournment.
“These members snatched papers from the chair and tore them and threw them towards the chair displaying conduct unprecedented in the history of this house. I am naming them for their absolutely condemnable behaviour,” said Lekhi.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi then moved a resolution under Rule 374 A of Lok Sabha proceedings recommending suspension of the seven MPs for the rest of the budget session. The resolution was passed by a voice vote in favour of it.
The above MPs had torn papers and thrown them at the chair, an act Lekhi condemned naming them under rule 374 A and paving the way for their suspension.
Senior BJP leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has said that his party has requested the Speaker Om Birla to set up a panel to look into continuous indiscipline by Congress members in the house.
Speaking to media outside Parliament, Mr Joshi said, the conduct of some Congress members in Lok Sabha reached the height of indiscipline and arrogance.
He welcomed the decision to suspend seven unruly members of the Opposition party from the House for the remainder of the session.
The Minister said, snatching papers from the Speaker’s table is utmost disrespect to Chair and the Government condemns it. He said, such an incident never happened in the history of the Indian Parliament.
Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said, the suspension is an attempt to weaken the Opposition as Government does not want a discussion on Delhi violence in Parliament. He termed the suspension as politics of revenge.