The last day of Monsoon Session of Parliament witnessed stormy scenes as the Congress protested the suspension of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from the Lok Sabha. In a surprise move on Thursday evening, the Congress leader was suspended from the lower House for 'repeated misconduct'.
Slamming the suspension on 'flimsy grounds', Congress president and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge urged vice president and Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar to protect democracy. Kharge said: "He has been suspended on a flimsy ground. He just said 'Nirav Modi'. Nirav means calm, silent. You suspend him over that?"
Kharge added that Chowdhury is a member of the public accounts committee and business advisory committee, and a suspension would mean he is deprived of these institutions.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had moved the resolution for Chowdhury's suspension on Thursday after the Congress leader repeatedly disrupted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was responding to the debate on the no-confidence motion.
Ahead of the parliament session on Friday, Opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc discussed the suspension of the Chowdhury, Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha ,and the way ahead. The Congress' Whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore wrote to Speaker Om Birla for moving a motion for the adjournment of business in the House to discuss the issue of the suspension.
“It is a matter of deep concern that Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a dedicated member of this House, was suspended without any proper reason yesterday as he spoke about Nirav which means 'Silence' in Hindi and compared it with the silence of Prime Minister Modi. This incident raises serious questions about the essence of our democratic principles, which prioritise freedom of speech and the right to express genuine concerns," Tagore said in his notice.
As soon as the House convened, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi raised the issue and several leaders said that Chowdhury has always respected the Chair. Amid the ruckus, the proceedings were adjourned till noon.
The INDIA bloc MPs walked out from Lok Sabha and marched to the Ambedkar statue at the Parliament premises.
