Suspended Rajya Sabha MPs begin relay protest

New Delhi: Twenty Opposition MPs, who were suspended from the Rajya Sabha for disrupting proceedings, began a 50-hour-long protest inside the Parliament complex on Wednesday. The MPs are holding the relay protest near the Gandhi Statue and will stay at the site through the night, said TMC MP Dola Sen, who is one of the suspended parliamentarians.

The 20 MPs, suspended over the last two days, include seven from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), six from the DMK, three from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), two from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and one each from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). As many as 24 Opposition MPs – 20 from the Rajya Sabha and four from the Lok Sabha – have been suspended for their unruly behaviour and creating ruckus in Parliament.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has said that the suspension of Opposition MPs can be revoked by the Chair if they apologise and assure that they would not show placards in the House. "We have been maintaining that the government is ready for discussion on price rise and today Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman resumed her office after recovering from Covid," Joshi said, adding that if the Opposition wants, "we can start discussion from today."

Rajya Sabha proceedings were on Wednesday adjourned for the day amid Opposition uproar over suspension of the MPs and other issues.

As soon as the proceedings commenced at 2 pm, Opposition members, mostly from the AAP, trooped to the Well of the House. The Chair also suspended AAP MP Sanjay Singh for shouting slogans, tearing papers and throwing them toward the Chair on Tuesday.

The Lok Sabha was also adjourned till 2 pm amid chaos by the Opposition. Proceedings have been washed out since the Houses convened on July 18, as the Opposition demanded a discussion on price rise and GST.