The growing tension between the Narendra Modi government and the Opposition climaxed on Monday after Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, in one fell swoop, suspended 25 Congress MPs for five consecutive sittings for “persistently and wilfully obstructing” the House, setting the tone for the rest of the monsoon session.
As Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad described the episode as proof of an “undeclared Emergency” in the country, an enraged Congress announced that all its members would boycott the Lok Sabha for the next five days. A decision on the party’s strategy in the Rajya Sabha will be taken on Tuesday morning.
Party president Sonia Gandhi immediately swung into action, personally reaching out to other Opposition parties to support the Congress in this cause to defeat the government’s bid to run Parliament through ‘divide and rule.’
The first to respond positively was the Trinamool Congress, the fourth largest party in the Lok Sabha. Its leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay told The Hindu : “We are not supporting the Congress, but we are opposing the suspension.” Shortly thereafter, similar support came in from parties including the Left, the Janata Dal (United), the IUML and the Aam Aadmi Party.
Biju Janata Dal leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said his party’s parliamentary wing would meet on Tuesday morning to take a call, even as Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule said the Congress’s suggestion was under consideration. She said a decision would be taken in consultation with other parties.
Congress MPs accused the ruling party of having planned the suspension, pointing out that when the Speaker ordered it, some of those named were not even in the House.
Attempt to divide Opposition: MPs
Congress MPs, who charged that the suspension of 25 of them by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday was planned, said the party was not alone in picketing the Well — where it had been joined by members of the CPI(M), the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti raising different issues. The targeted action against the principal Opposition party smacked of a bid to divide the Opposition.
The Congress’s view was endorsed by other Opposition MPs. RSP leader N.K. Premachandran described the suspension as “politically motivated” as other parties were spared, pointing out, for instance, that Congress MP Mullapally Ramachandran who never held up a placard and rarely entered the Well was among those suspended. “The Speaker’s office is being used by the government to achieve political gains,” he alleged.
Indeed, Congress Leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge even accused Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy of walking around the House threatening Congress MPs, ahead of the suspensions. This was denied by the Minister who also supported Mr. Bandyopadhyay’s contention that no member should be suspended.
The suspension — under Rule 374A — was ordered an hour-and-a-half after the all-party meeting convened by the government failed to break the deadlock in Parliament with both the Congress and the BJP sticking to their positions.
Hours before the all-party meeting, Congress president Sonia Gandhi drew the line in her speech to the party’s Parliamentary Party where she said: “There can be no productive discussion and no meaningful proceedings as long as those responsible for their wrongdoings remain in office,’’ pointing out that the BJP authored the “resign-now-debate-later” principle of parliamentary practice.
At the all-party meeting later, other Opposition parties said the Congress and the BJP should sort out issues among themselves, perhaps using other Opposition leaders as mediators. Biju Janata Dal leader Bhartruhari Mahtab suggested that the government adjourn proceedings sine die so that members could return to their constituencies.
The government even promised a possible intervention by Prime Minster Narendra Modi if there was a discussion. It, however, maintained that since there was no FIR or court order against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, there was no need for her to resign.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said he had met Ms. Gandhi before the session and would not stand on prestige and could meet her again if needed.
But all this was before the suspensions after which the Opposition appeared more united. Though angry, they were careful in not commenting on the Speaker’s actions.
