India's parliamentary session has become a battleground as heated protests erupted following the suspension of an additional 49 opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), bringing the total number of barred lawmakers to 141.
The protests were triggered by the recent security breach in parliament, with the opposition accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of undermining democracy. This controversy escalated on Monday when a record-breaking 78 MPs were suspended in a single day.
The majority of the lawmakers have been barred for the remainder of the winter session, set to conclude on Friday. However, approximately two dozen of them may face extended suspensions, pending the decision of the parliament's privileges committee.
A significant portion of the suspended MPs belongs to the INDIA alliance, a coalition of opposition parties gearing up to challenge Mr. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming general election. The alliance commands 142 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha (lower house), of which 95 are now under suspension. Additionally, it holds 101 MPs in the 250-member upper house or Rajya Sabha (with a few seats vacant), with 46 facing suspension.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor lamented the situation, stating on Tuesday after his suspension, "Unfortunately, we have to start writing obituaries for parliamentary democracy in India."
The ruling BJP countered the accusations, alleging that opposition leaders intentionally disrupted parliamentary proceedings. These developments are poised to further strain the already tense relationship between the opposition and the Modi government.
Several opposition MPs had been pressing for a statement in parliament from either Federal Home Minister Amit Shah or Prime Minister Modi regarding the recent security breach. Last week, two individuals entered parliament, set off colored gas, and shouted slogans, while two others protested outside. Six people have been arrested, and the four protesters are facing charges under a stringent anti-terror law.
Although Mr. Modi did not address the issue in parliament, he expressed the seriousness of the situation in an interview with a Hindi newspaper. He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation and dismissed the idea of debating the matter.
Federal Home Minister Shah, while not speaking in parliament, asserted at an event that a high-level inquiry had been initiated into the incident. He accused the opposition of politicizing the security breach.
Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the opposition Congress party, criticized the government, stating, "PM can give an interview to a newspaper, home minister can give interviews to TV channels. But they have zero accountability left to parliament, which represents the people of India." Kharge, a Rajya Sabha member, has not faced suspension yet.
Manoj Kumar Jha, an MP from the regional Rashtriya Janata Dal, regarded his suspension as "a badge of honor." He asserted that it symbolized the government's attempt to suppress the questions raised by the opposition.
Several opposition MPs, including Kharge, have alleged that the government's mass suspensions aim to pass crucial bills without debate. Federal Minister Piyush Goyal, who moved a motion to suspend 34 MPs in the upper house, labeled the opposition's protest as a "pre-planned strategy" to disrupt parliamentary functions and block important bills.
Goyal also accused opposition MPs of disrespecting the parliament and insulting the Lok Sabha speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman by disregarding their requests to refrain from bringing protest signs to the well of the house. The situation remains tense, with both the government and the opposition locked in a bitter standoff over the handling of the security breach and the subsequent suspension of MPs.