Three more Opposition MPs suspended from Rajya Sabha for disrupting proceedings

Three more Opposition MPs were suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the week for disrupting proceedings on Thursday, ANI reported.

The legislators who were suspended were Aam Aadmi Party leaders Sushil Kumar Gupta and Sandeep Kumar Pathak, and Independent MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan.

With this, the total number of Opposition MPs suspended from Parliament in this session has reached 27.

On Monday, four Congress Lok Sabha MPs were suspended for the entire Monsoon Session for carrying placards while protesting inside the House.

A day later, 19 Opposition MPs were suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the week for repeatedly disrupting the House proceedings. On Wednesday, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the week for showing “unruly behaviour” in the House.

The Opposition has been staging protests since the Monsoon Session started on July 18, seeking a discussion on inflation and tax increases on several goods and services.

The suspended MPs also held overnight protests at the Parliament premises against their suspension on Wednesday. The MPs said their sit-in demonstration will end after 50 hours.

The Union government has said that it would consider revoking the suspension of four Congress Lok Sabha MPs if the Opposition parties assure that their members will not show placards and enter the Well of the House, according to The Indian Express.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday that the Centre was ready to hold a debate on the issue of price rise and alleged that the Opposition was running away from it.

“We have been maintaining that the government is ready for discussion on price rise and today Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman resumed her office after recovering from Covid,” he said.