DMK, TMC To Back Congress Over Suspension Of 7 Lok Sabha MPs

New Delhi: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are reported to have decided to back the Indian Nationalist Congress (INC) in the issue of suspension of seven of the party's Lok Sabha MPs on Thursday. The support of the DMK and TMC to the Congress cause bolsters its efforts to forge opposition unity after seven of its Lok Sabha MPs got suspended for the rest of the Budget session on Thursday amidst noisy disruptions.

The Congress members of Parliament led by Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday, protested in the premises of the parliament in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue. They raised slogans protesting against the government's move to suspend 7 Congress MPs.

Noisy scenes disrupted the functioning of the Lok Sabha on Thursday as Opposition members demanded an urgent discussion on the Delhi violence. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla had earlier announced that the Home Minister would reply in the debate scheduled to take place after Holi.

In the disruptions which followed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, papers were snatched from the speaker's table. The Parliamentary affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi moved a resolution against the gross misconduct of the Congress members and sought the suspension of seven of its Lok Sabha MPs.

Congress party leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury reacted by saying that the BJP was misusing its power on the basis of its numerical strength. He called the suspension of his seven Lok Sabha colleagues a dictatorial act. The Congress described the suspension as an act which stemmed out of the BJP's fear of holding an urgent debate on Delhi riots.