Eight Opposition MPs Suspended For Remainder of Budget Session For Throwing Papers at Lok Sabha Chair

New Delhi: Eight Opposition MPs have been suspended for the remainder of the Budget session in connection with the uproar in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and for throwing papers towards the Chair. The suspended MPs include senior leaders Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Prashant Padole, S. Venkatesan and Dean Kuriakose. 

The suspended MPs include seven Congress MP's and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP from Madurai S. Venkatesan.

Meanwhile the Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day. Top Ministers held a meeting at the Lok Sabha Speaker's Chamber while Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi staged a protest outside the Parliament following this suspension. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi tried to read out excerpts from ex-Army chief General MM Naravane's unpublished book, on the second consecutive day, after the Parliament erupted into commotion when he tried to read those excerpts on Monday. The excerpts, which Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had objected to on Monday, reportedly included sections about the India-China stand-off in Ladakh in 2020.

When Opposition MPs, in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, protested in the Lower House for not allowing the LoP to speak on a matter allegedly related to ‘national security’, and some of them even refused to speak when asked to.

Speaking to ANI, after being suspended from the House, Hibi Eden said, "The Leader of Opposition clearly mentioned why he is not able to speak inside the Parliament. It is because of the kind of surrender the Prime Minister has made in front of America, how the trade agreement was signed, and the shady things which have happened in the trade agreement. Epstein is something which has to be discussed in the parliament, but all these things have not been discussed. We would continue our protest inside and outside the house. Eight of our MPs are suspended, but we will continue our fight inside and outside the parliament."

Congress MP Manickam Tagore told ANI that when asked to come up with authenticated documents on Monday, the LoP had done so, and he had even submitted the authentication on Tuesday.

"Our mistake is that we were protesting against the government's decision not to allow the leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, to speak. Yesterday, LoP Rahul Gandhi was disturbed again and again, and he was not allowed to speak, and he was asked to give authentication. Today, he came up with the authentication, and he gave the letter and submitted the authentication. After that, they stopped the speech of the leader of the opposition. Rahul Gandhi spoke about China, US tariffs. After that, Rahul Gandhi's mic was taken, and we protested; therefore, we are suspended," Tagore said.

Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla even questioned the Centre on the recently announced India-US trade deal, and for allegedly stopping its oil imports from Russia, which has been India's long standing trade partner.

“It is the Opposition's duty to present the issues facing the entire country; that's what Parliament is for, and the government should come and respond to them. But since yesterday, they've been saying that you can't cite any books... China has now entered the country, Chinese goods are flooding the market, and now they have done the same with America... It's necessary to buy goods from them, and we will also buy oil from Venezuela, abandoning Russia, which was our country's old friend... This was the same Parliament where PM Modi said that he would not talk about tariffs because farmers' livelihoods would be in danger, and everyone was applauding. Where has that concern for livelihoods gone today?... Now this country has become nothing but a market,” the suspended MP from Amritsar told ANI.

Elaborating on the ruckus in Parliament on Tuesday, Union Minister Giriraj Singh claimed that someone even climbed onto the General Secretary's table and tore up the documents.

"Today, things went too far. Today, someone climbed onto the General Secretary's table and tore up the documents. This is an unfortunate attitude. Perhaps these people believe that only members of the Gandhi family can rule, and that the son of a tea seller can never govern. If the House is to function, it will do so according to its rules and regulations. The House will not function through indiscipline," Singh said.

'Have Authenticated the Article': Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha

On Tuesday, while addressing the House, Rahul Gandhi said that he has authenticated the article and national security is an important component in President's speech.

"I have authenticated the article. A very important matter in the President's speech is national security and the relationship between us and the Chinese and Pakistanis. A very important matter in the article, which I have authenticated. This speaks about the Prime Minister," the LoP said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Speaking about the importance of India's position on conflicts with China and Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi said, “Our President's address was about the path India has to take. Today. On the world stage, the main issue in international affairs is the conflict between China and the US. This is central to our President's address. All I am saying is let me make a statement about what happened between China and India and how our PM reacted to it. Why am I being stopped?”

At that moment, Krishna Prasad Tenneti who was at the Chair asked Rahul Gandhi to restrict himself to the President's speech. At this juncture, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asked Rahul Gandhi not to quote the memoir, reasoning that Speaker Om Birla had already given his ruling against it.

"I requested Venugopal ji that we are patiently waiting to listen to LoP. Yesterday, the Chair gave a ruling on the paper he had authenticated that was tabled in the House. But, when a ruling was given yesterday, he can't quote the same matter again. Please continue your speech, but avoid referring to the matter that has been settled," Rijiju said.

However, Congress MP KC Venugopal objected to Rijiju claiming that the latter was misleading the House.

Rahul Gandhi on India-US Trade Deal

After not being allowed to speak on the India-China standoff in the Lower House on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi even claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "rattled," under "extreme pressure," and is “compromised”.

Hitting at the Prime Minister over the India-US trade deal signed on Monday night, Rahul Gandhi said, “Modi ji is rattled. The (US-India) trade deal, which was stalled for the past few months, was signed by Narendra Modi last night. There is extreme pressure on him. Narendra Modi ji's image can get damaged. The main thing is that our PM is compromised. The public needs to think about this.” 

"For the first time, the LoP was not allowed to speak on the President's speech. Narendra Modi ji has sold your hard work in this trade deal because he is compromised. He has sold the country. Narendra Modi ji is scared because those who shaped his image are now breaking this image," he added.

The Stand-off on Monday

Earlier on Monday, the Parliament witnessed a heated confrontation, after Rahul Gandhi quoted a magazine article that contained excerpts from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane. He even asked the government why it was "so scared" of its content, and insisted on reading excerpts related to the 2020 India-China standoff in Galwan.

Rahul Gandhi's reply was interrupted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who stated that the LoP cannot quote from an unpublished book, which was not authenticated.

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