Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 4 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday condemned the suspension of eight opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha.
He targeted the Union government, questioning why it was afraid of issues raised by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and asserting that the government must uphold democratic debate in Parliament.
In a post on X, CM Stalin wrote, "Why is the Union BJP Government fearing the questions raised by the Hon'ble Leader of Opposition & my brother, Thiru. @RahulGandhi? The government must be prepared to answer the members of the House and provide clarity on matters of national security and economic interests."
https://x.com/mkstalin/status/2018914232222548334?s=20
"I strongly condemn the suspension of eight opposition MPs and demand that it be revoked immediately so that their democratic right to speak on issues of national importance is restored," the post read.
Eight opposition members were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the budget session for violating rules and "throwing papers on the chair" following uproar in the House over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's insistence on mentioning a specific reference to the 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.
A day earlier, Rahul Gandhi said that he would not refer to any magazine article about former Army Chief Gen MM Naravane's memoirs but would briefly speak about Chinese action during the Kailash Range standoff in the house.
The government, however, maintained that Rahul Gandhi could not quote from an unpublished memoir or a magazine article based on it. The Chair directed him to resume his speech on the motion of thanks to the President's Address and adhere to the ruling already given.
As Rahul Gandhi continued to press his point, the Chair called upon other members to speak on the motion of thanks. Opposition members resorted to sloganeering, which intensified after a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) member began his speech. Amid the uproar, some members were seen throwing papers, forcing the House to adjourn.
When the House resumed its proceedings, BJP member Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair, named eight opposition members.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved the motion for suspension of the eight members for the remainder of the budget session for "violating rules and throwing papers on the chair."
The motion was adopted by the House amid protests from the opposition members.
The suspended MPs include Congress members Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, and Dean Kuriakose, as well as CPI(M) MP S Venkatesan.