'Unruly behavior': 4 Congress MPs suspended for entire monsoon session
Amid a heated monsoon session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday suspended four Congress MPs for "unruly behavior." The four legislators—Manickam Tagore (Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu), Ramya Haridas (Alathur, Kerala), Jothi Mani (Karur, Tamil Nadu), and TN Prathapan (Thrissur, Kerala)—have been suspended for the entire monsoon session. The decision by the speaker came after continuous protests by opposition MPs against central government policies.
Post-suspension, MPs continued protest outside house
The Congress MPs were reportedly suspended for holding placards against rising LPG prices and inflation inside the house. Om Birla issued a warning, asking them to protest with placards outside Parliament. He said he was ready for discussions after 3:00 pm. The house was adjourned until Tuesday at around 4:00 pm, but they continued protesting near the Mahatma Gandhi statue after the suspension notification.
Congress MPs suspended for 'protests with placards'
What did the speaker say?
After the Lok Sabha resumed proceedings at 3:00 pm, opposition MPs reportedly stepped into the well with placards. Birla said, "If the opposition wants to hold a discussion, then I'm ready for it. If MPs only want to show placards in the house, then they can do so outside the house after 3 pm. The people of the country want the house to run."
House rocked by opposition protests
The monsoon session has been shaken by the opposition's protests against rising inflation, food prices, GST rates, and even the government's Agnipath scheme. In the six days since it began, the house hasn't been able to transact much business. Before his suspension, Tagore also gave an adjournment motion notice to discuss 5% GST on pre-packed and pre-labeled milk, curd, food grains, and other products.
'Can only cheer for Modi or Amit Shah,' jibes Tagore
Speaking to the media later, Tamil Nadu MP Tagore claimed that a hundred things have been banned inside Parliament, and only cheering for PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah is allowed. "We've been suspended from the House for raising the voice of the people in Parliament. We will continue to fight for the people of the country," he stated, as per ANI.
