New Delhi: Four Congress MPs were suspended Monday from the Lok Sabha for the entire Monsoon Session ending August 12. The Congress MPs were suspended for holding protests with placards inside the house over price rise. Speaker Om Birla had earlier warned them to behave and hold the placards outside the House if they wanted to protest. The suspended Congress MPs were Manickam Tagore, Jothimani, Ramya Haridas and TN Prathapan.
Soon after their suspension, the four went near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the Parliament grounds and raised slogans there. The Congress said the government is trying to intimidate its MPs by suspending some of them. “Our MPs were trying to raise issues which matter to people,” the Congress said.
“The MPs were holding placards raising the issues of rise in prices of gas cylinder, imposition of GST on items such as flour and buttermilk. We moved an adjournment motion demanding a discussion on these issues, but no discussion was held,” Congress’s Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi stated.
The Congress also said the government was trying to ‘intimidate’ it, and asserted that the party will not be cowed down.
Speaking with reporters along with the four suspended MPs, Gogoi said, “The government is trying to intimidate us by suspending our MPs. What was their fault? They were trying to raise the issues which matter to people. The Congress party will not be cowed down like this.”
Tagore, one of the suspended MPs, said for the past six days, the Congress has been demanding a discussion on price rise. The Congress has given notices for adjournment motion but the government has shown ‘complete arrogance’. “Today, when a tribal woman has taken oath as President, a Dalit woman has been suspended from Lok Sabha,” Tagore said.
Tagore also alleged that the BJP only wants Parliament to cheer its leaders and its victory. “We were trying to show placards in the House and place them in the camera angles. They say placards are not allowed in Parliament… What is allowed is only cheering for Modi ji,” he said.