After revocation of suspension, Congress MPs insist protest was for Opposition rights, question Speaker | India News
NEW DELHI: After withdrawing their suspension on Tuesday, Congress MPs insisted that their protest was “dignified” over Leader of Opposition (LOP) Rahul Gandhi and other opposition members’ demand to be allowed to speak in Parliament.Congress MP Manikam Thakur said, “Parliamentary traditions and rules should apply equally to all and not selectively to opposition MPs. Laxman Rekha must retain the status of Leader of the Opposition.”He said the opposition MPs protested only after the LOP was not allowed to speak in the President’s motion of thanks and then representatives of 240 opposition MPs were also “silenced”.Amarinder Raja Waring, another suspended MP, said the period of suspension was too long. “We feel that there is discrimination in the house. There is no equality. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey is given a chance whenever he wants. There is a free order for Nishikant, Anurag Thakur, Ravneet Bittu, but there is no free order for the LOP. The Speaker sometimes discriminates, he takes biased decisions and feels bad,” he said.After withdrawing their suspension on Tuesday afternoon, MPs Thakur, Waring, Hiby Eden, Prashant Padol, Kiran Reddy, Gurjit Aujla, Dean Kuriakos paid obeisance at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Parliament complex.
