New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday suspended eight opposition Members of Parliament for the remainder of the Budget Session after they allegedly tore and threw papers toward the Speaker’s Chair during a chaotic parliamentary proceeding, officials confirmed. The dramatic action came amid intense disruptions that led to the House being adjourned for the day.
Uproar in the House Over Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks
The scenes of disorder were triggered during discussions linked to the Budget Session, when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General Manoj Naravane related to the 2020 India–China conflict. Gandhi was repeatedly stopped from citing the material, leading to sharp exchanges in the House and prolonged disruptions involving sloganeering and protests.
Motion Passed to Suspend MPs
After tensions escalated, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved a resolution seeking the suspension of opposition MPs for “disrupting proceedings and bringing the House to a standstill”. The motion was passed by voice vote, after which Speaker Dilip Saikia announced the names of the MPs to be suspended for the entire Budget Session, which runs until April 2.
Names of Suspended MPs
The opposition MPs suspended include:
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Amarinder Singh Raja Warring
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Manickam Tagore
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Gurjeet Singh Aujla
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Hibi Eden
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C. Kiran Kumar Reddy
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Prashant Yadaorao Padole
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S. Venkatesan
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Dean Kuriakose
All eight belong to the Indian National Congress, highlighting deep tensions between the ruling and opposition benches during the ongoing Budget discussions.
House Adjourned Amid Disorder
Following the suspension resolution, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day, with normal proceedings set to resume the next sitting. The decision to adjourn reflected the intensity of the disruption and the difficulty in conducting parliamentary business in the charged atmosphere.
Opposition Protests Outside Parliament
After the suspension, Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged protests outside the Parliament building, condemning the action as undemocratic and calling for debate rather than punitive measures. They argued that elected representatives should have the right to raise issues of national importance.
Criticism from Ruling Side
On the other hand, ruling party members and supporters of the suspension defended the action, stating that parliamentary decorum must be upheld and that unruly conduct such as tearing and throwing papers at the Chair cannot be tolerated during legislative proceedings. Several government leaders called for strict enforcement of House rules and cautioned against resorting to disruptive tactics.
Impact on Parliamentary Agenda
The suspension of key opposition MPs and the adjournment of the Lok Sabha have raised concerns about potential delays in the Budget Session’s legislative agenda, including debates and passage of key financial and policy proposals. With the session set to continue over the coming weeks, both sides are expected to intensify their political strategies.
The suspension of eight MPs following dramatic scenes in the Lok Sabha underscores growing tensions in Parliament during a critical Budget Session, reflecting deeper political confrontations between the ruling party and the opposition over parliamentary conduct and contentious issues raised during debate.