The constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc decided on Tuesday to vehemently push for a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the Parliament security breach issue in both Houses.
This resolution followed a meeting of the alliance’s constituents in the Parliament complex, occurring a day after 78 MPs in both Houses faced suspension for advocating this demand.
“The demand for Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement will persist, and the suspended MPs will protest in front of the Gandhi statue,” stated Congress whip in Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, following the meeting. Tagore himself is among the suspended Lok Sabha members.
The suspended MPs staged a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Parliament complex, chanting slogans against the government and calling for the resignation of the prime minister and home minister. Additionally, they demanded the arrest of the BJP MP who provided entry passes to the intruders. Prior to this, they held a protest by sitting on the stairs of Parliament’s new building.
Various Opposition members, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, participated in the protest near the Gandhi statue. Kharge, addressing reporters, expressed concern about the Home Minister’s reluctance to make a statement in the House on the security breach issue during a session, considering it a violation of Parliament’s privilege.
In a subsequent post on X, Kharge lamented, “Modi-Shah have insulted the dignity of the House. Despite serious security lapses, they do not come to Parliament and give any statement. I am very sad that for the first time in history, so many MPs have been suspended. This is like destroying democracy and is a deep insult to the dignity of the House.”
The actions taken on Monday increased the total number of MPs suspended from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to 93, with 92 facing suspension since Thursday. AAP member Sanjay Singh had been suspended as a Rajya Sabha member from July 24.
The opposition parties within the INDIA bloc will convene a meeting in the national capital on Tuesday afternoon, where the suspension of their MPs will be discussed. The INDIA bloc has experienced a significant reduction in strength in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, as 78 MPs were suspended on Monday for unruly behavior and defiance of the Chair’s directives.