INDIA bloc holds protest over suspension of MPs

The Parliamentarians of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc on Thursday held a march from the Parliament House to Vijay Chowk in Delhi on the issue of suspension of Opposition MPs in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The floor leaders of the INDIA bloc also held a meeting in the office of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge. The members of the INDIA bloc have also planned a protest at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday against the suspension of its MPs.

A total of 146 opposition MPs have been suspended from both Houses of Parliament over the past week after they held protests and raised slogans demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on the December 13 security breach incident. On Thursday, the total number of suspended MPs reached 100 in the Lok Sabha and 46 in the Rajya Sabha.Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla suspended three MPs over "unruly behaviour".

The action comes hours after the INDIA bloc marched from the Parliament to Vijay Chowk against the government. The three MPs suspended on Thursday -- DK Suresh, Nakul Nath and Deepak Baij -- belong to the Congress. The Opposition, includingthe Congress, has called the move dictatorial and said that it has hurt the democratic goodwill of the country. “It was the right of MPs to ask questions inside Parliament. A large number of people from different parts of the city will raise their voice against the undemocratic move during the protest,” Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said.“Most of the INDIA bloc leaders, including MPs who have been suspended, are expected to participate in the demonstration (on Friday),” Delhi Congress spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said.