In an unprecedented move, 146 opposition MPs—100 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha—have been suspended in this winter session. This is probably the first time since Independence that such a large number of MPs House faced suspension due to unruly, or rather ‘unparliamentary’ behaviour. The previous record was set on 15 March 1989, when 63 Lok Sabha members from opposition parties, most of whom belonged to the current ruling party BJP, were suspended following a dispute over the tabling of the Justice Thakkar Commission’s report on the assassination of Indira Gandhi. However, back then, the suspension lasted just for the remainder of that particular week. This time, members have been suspended for the entire session.
The suspension bars the MPs from accessing the House’s inner precincts, such as the chamber, lobby, and galleries. They also cannot participate in the Parliamentary Committee meetings. Moreover, any notices they table will not be considered by the House. Usually, if the member giving the notice is absent, another Member supporting the notice can initiate discussions with the Chair’s permission. Given the suspended MPs’ situation, it’s unlikely that any ruling party member present in the House would would endorse their notices.
On the twelfth anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, two people jumped from the visitors’ gallery of the Lok Sabha into the chamber and released a smoke canister before being overpowered by some members. This incident highlights a grave security breach, which calls for a thorough investigation and setting up measures to fix the loopholes in Parliament’s security protocols. This is certainly not an issue that the opposition parties should have politicised in the irresponsible manner they did. Carrying placards into the well of the House, shouting slogans, and mocking the Speaker are not the behaviours the public expects, especially when they seek assurance about their elected representatives’ focus on more pressing issues of economic importance instead of mere theatrics.
The arrest of people linked to this security breach across various states indicates a wider conspiracy involving multiple parties and a prolonged planning phase. This doesn’t seem like a spontaneous act by a few desperate, disgruntled, unemployed individuals. Shockingly, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attributed the incident to rising prices and unemployment, giving credence to the apprehension that someone in his party might be behind this serious attack on Parliament.
Also read: Get over the idea that a Speaker is above party politics—Parliament to Maharashtra assembly
Uphold discipline, address security breach
Recent data from the periodic labour force survey indicates a decline in Uttar Pradesh’s unemployment rate from 6.4 per cent in 2017-18 to 2.6 per cent in 2022-23. Nationally, India’s unemployment rate reduced from 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 to 3.4 per cent in 2022-23. Additionally, the survey, conducted by the National Sample Survey Office, highlighted a decrease in the urban unemployment rate from 7.2 per cent (July-September 2022) to 6.6 per cent (July–September 2023) and an increase in the urban labour force participation rate from 47.9 per cent to 49.3 per cent. For women, the labour force participation rate increased from 21.7 per cent to 24 per cent. Such statistics, coupled with the BJP’s decisive victories in three major states over the Congress, prove the Congress wrong. Why the party was unable to highlight the unemployment issue is something it must ponder.
For Parliament to function effectively as a forum for debate, discussion, and public service, members must uphold discipline and maintain decorum. Beyond formal rules and regulations, the House also depends upon certain unwritten customs and conventions that have evolved over time. One such norms is to respect the president officer of the House and follow his or her decisions. The House rules don’t even permit the use of phrases like ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Vande Mataram’, or even ‘Thank You’.
Om Birla, the unanimously elected Speaker of Lok Sabha, had upheld the decision of the pro-tem speaker Virendra Kumar to expunge religious slogans by Treasury benches directed at opposition leaders. “I don’t think Parliament is the place for sloganeering, for showing placards, or for coming to the well. Whatever people want to say here, whatever allegations they have, however they want to attack the government they can, but they can’t come to the gallery and do all this,’’ Birla had said after his election. If sloganeering by Treasury benches were wrong, how could it be right when the opposition does it?
The government could have handled the sensitive issue of security breach in a more refined and tactful manner by promptly addressing it in the House. Previously, on the issue of Manipur violence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a short statement assuring return of peace in the state only after the opposition had walked out of the House following a no-confidence motion. Both the ruling BJP and the Congress-led opposition should spare Parliament of one-upmanship, whataboutery, and the urge to score brownie points; they can reserve these posturing for the upcoming elections.
Seshadri Chari is the former editor of ‘Organiser’. He tweets @seshadrichari. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)