Accusing the Congress of holding Parliament to “ransom” by obstructing its proceedings, the government said the opposition party should display some statesmanship and allow it to function.
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On Monday, Mahajan had suspended 25 Congress members for five days for protesting with placards in the Well of the House. Party President Sonia Gandhi and vice President Rahul Gandhi were leading the protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament House.
The members wore black arm bands.
Janata Dal(United) President Sharad Yadav urged Lok Sabha Speaker to revoke the suspension of the Congress MPs. “So, we have to improve the condition of rural areas”, he said.
“I am surprised that Congress is talking about democracy”.
As Firstpost’s R Jagannathan had pointed out in a piece yesterday, the Modi government’s show of strength in confronting the opposition Parliament is only making things worse for it as it attempts to pass crucial legislation.
When the matter was raised in the House by several BJP MPs, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who wanted the notice to be sent to the Privileges Committee, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan sounded reluctant but later said she would consider it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rightwing government, which swept to power last year on a pledge to revive the economy, wants to push through a series of reforms including a new national sales tax.
The BJP, on the other hand, has dug in its heels on the Vyapam and Lalit Modi scams refusing to take action against the Chief Ministers and the Ministers allegedly involved.
The opposition is demanding Swaraj quit over her role in helping corruption-hit former cricket boss Lalit Modi to obtain a passport.
Many parties like the Trinamool Congress, Left and the Janata Dal (United) also boycotted the proceedings of the lower house.
The CPM party congress had decided against any alliance with the Congress but a section of the party leaders feel they need to have some kind of understanding with the party in Bengal to fight Trinamul.
“In the same way there is no ground for the resignation of Raje and Chouhan and the BJP Parliamentary Party is standing by them”, the resolution, proposed by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and passed at the meeting, said.
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The morcha was seen as a counter to BJP activists protesting against Kamat’s criticism of HRD Minister Smriti Irani outside his house recently.
