NEW DELHI:l In response to the mass suspension of 146 Members of Parliament (MPs) during the Winter Session, opposition leaders have initiated widespread protests across India.
The suspension, which occurred over the past week, targeted MPs who sought a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah regarding a December 13 security breach. During the breach, two individuals entered the chamber by leaping from the visitors' gallery and released yellow smoke canisters, prompting the suspensions.
The suspended MPs are affiliated with the INDIA bloc, a coalition comprising 28 opposition parties united with the goal of defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 General Election.
Taking their grievances to Delhi's Jantar Mantar, opposition MPs displayed banners reading "Save Democracy" and voiced concerns that democracy is under threat. Their primary demand remains a discussion in Parliament about the December 13 security breach. However, their actions were rebuked by the chairmen of both houses, accusing them of creating disorder.
Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by PM Modi, urged opposition members to await the results of an ongoing inquiry into the security breach. PM Modi accused the opposition of indirectly supporting the breach and politicizing the incident due to their recent electoral setbacks.
As today marks the conclusion of the Winter Session, the suspended opposition MPs remain barred from entering the Parliament chambers.
Joining the protest at Jantar Mantar are prominent leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar of the NCP, Sitaram Yechury of the CPI (M), and others. Rahul Gandhi criticized the incident, citing it as reflective of both a security breach and the frustration caused by unemployment in the country. He also condemned the media's focus on superficial matters rather than addressing the issue of unemployment.
Expressing concern over the state of democracy, Shashi Tharoor, a senior Congress MP among the suspended, emphasized that the rally aims to highlight the precarious situation facing India's democratic values. "Never in history have 146 MPs been suspended; it is a stain on democracy," Tharoor added."
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