New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Monday revoked the session-long suspension of four Congress MPs, with Speaker Om Birla giving them a “last chance”, and warning of strict action if they waved placards inside the House again.
Birla said: “I will request all parties not to bring in placards in the House. If placards are again brought by MPs, then I’ll listen neither to the government nor the Opposition and will surely take action. I’m giving a last chance to them.”
I'll request all the parties in the house that placards should not be brought inside the house. If at all placards are brought by MPs, then I'll listen neither to the govt nor to the Opposition and will surely take action. I'm giving last chance to them:Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla pic.twitter.com/pB3KzHW5Mc
— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2022
Four Lok Sabha Congress MPs — Manickam Tagore, Jothimani, Ramya Haridas and TN Prathapan — were suspended for the entire session last week after waving placards on the price-rise issue.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal had said earlier Monday that the government would recommend their entry if the MPs apologised or their leader ensured they would not repeat such behavior in future. Goyal said bringing placards inside Parliament was against the rules.
Both Houses of Parliament saw intense protests Monday on several issues, and had to be adjourned. A discussion on price rise could only begin in the Lok Sabha after the Congress MPs were allowed back in.
Twenty-three Rajya Sabha members were also suspended last week for unruly behavior. But their suspension lasted only a few days.
Also read: Disruption, suspension, unrelenting opposition—the farce that is Parliament’s monsoon session