A DMK Lok Sabha MP who was suspended from the Lok Sabha on Thursday for protesting against the security breach in parliament was not even in the house!
Fourteen opposition MPs, including DMK’s S.R. Parthiban, were suspended for the remaining winter session after they staged protest, demanding an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the security scare.
Parthiban, who represents Salem constituency, is apparently on sick leave and did not attend the parliament on Thursday. Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi later informed that it was a case of mistaken identity and the Speaker has been requested to remove Parthiban’s name from the list. He also said that the Speaker has accepted the request.
However, the “mistaken identity” has turned into a huge embarrassment for the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
‘This is undemocratic. Our MP Parthiban was not there in the parliament today. He is on leave,” DMK deputy general secretary and MP Kanimozhi said. Kanimozhi, along with Congress MPs Jothimani and Manickam Tagore, have also been suspended from participating in the remaining winter session.
“Parthiban of DMK was not there in the Lok Sabha during that time. But the parliamentary affairs minister read out his name in the list of suspended MPs. A total mockery of governance,” said Dr S. Senthil Kumar, MP from Dharmapuri, in a tweet.
Condemning the suspension of the opposition party MPs, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in a tweet called it “undemocratic”.
Stating that the parliament must be a forum for debate, he said, “Suspension of 15 Opposition MPs, including DMK MP Kanimozhi is undemocratic and undermines the spirit of parliamentary democracy. The intolerant attitude of the BJP-led Union government is condemnable. Is crushing MPs' freedom of expression the new norm in our parliament? Why are people's representatives punished for seeking answers on a major security breach in our temple of democracy? We demand the immediate revocation of the 15 MPs' suspension. Parliament must be a forum for debate and definitely not for silencing opposition.”
Tamil Nadu sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote on X: “Suspension of 15 opposition MPs, including DMK's Kanimozhi and S.R. Parthiban is highly condemnable. The arrogance and the autocratic behaviour of the fascists are becoming more and more evident with every passing day. Suppressing the voices of people's representatives questioning the serious security breach in the parliament is an obvious assault on the core principles of democracy and the Constitution. The Union government should give up its intolerant attitude and withdraw the MPs’ suspension.”
