The suspension of eight Congress MPs from the Lok Sabha triggered sharp reactions from Opposition leaders on Wednesday, who accused the Centre of suppressing dissent and stifling democratic debate.
Several suspended MPs, including Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Gurjeet Singh Aujla, along with Trinamool MP Kirti Azad, alleged that the ruling dispensation was deliberately blocking discussions on key national issues and silencing the Opposition.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi also joined the suspended MPs who were sitting in protest near Makar Dwar inside the Parliament complex.
At that time, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, a former Congress MP who later joined the BJP, reportedly commented that the suspended MPs were sitting as if they had “won a war”, drawing sharp criticism from the Opposition.
Reacting strongly to sarcastic remarks made by Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, Congress MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring launched a scathing attack.
“He was coming from there saying, ‘Did you come back after winning the Kargil War?’ This reflects the attitude of that person, to whom Congress has given everything and recognition, especially Rahul Gandhi. When he first contested elections with the Youth Congress, no one knew Bittu ji. Then he was given his first parliamentary election. The party in which he was, he betrayed it,” Warring told Media.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, who is also among those suspended, said the ruling party was deliberately avoiding discussion. “This is a democratic House and everyone wants discussion. We also want the country’s issues to be debated. Those who sell out the country and betray the nation are not allowing discussion in the House,” Aujla said.
Echoing similar concerns, Trinamool MP Kirti Azad accused the government of undermining democracy. “Democracy is being murdered. The Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition are not being allowed to speak. The government wants the Opposition to speak what they want, which is not possible. This matter related to General Naravane concerns national security, and they are stopping us from discussing it,” Azad said.
The controversy follows the Lok Sabha’s decision on Tuesday to suspend eight Opposition MPs for the remainder of the Budget Session for allegedly disrupting proceedings and throwing papers towards the Chair.
Those suspended include Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, C. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, S. Venkatesh, and Dean Kuriakose, all belonging to the Congress party.
The Opposition has termed the suspensions excessive and politically-motivated, while the government has maintained that strict action was necessary to uphold parliamentary decorum.
