“Democracy Has Been Suspended”: AAP’s Raghav Chadha On MP Suspensions

It is the democracy, not the MPs, that has been suspended from parliament, remarked Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on the mass suspension of opposition leaders from parliament.

Barely 24 hours after 78 MPs were suspended across both Houses of Parliament, Tuesday saw more suspensions – 49, extending the record-breaking parliament standoff between the government and the opposition.  

“It’s not just the MPs who have been suspended from Parliament but rather, democracy within the country has been suspended. These opposition MPs were suspended solely because they questioned the security lapse in Parliament,” said the Aam Aadmi Party leader.

The Opposition MPs have been protesting in both Houses of Parliament over the huge security breach in Lok Sabha last week. They have been demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah address the Parliament on the security failure.

Two intruders had entered the Lok Sabha chamber, jumped from desk to desk and released coloured smoke from canisters.

“It’s ironic that with the signature of a BJP MP, two accused individuals obtained visitor passes and entered the Parliament to attack the house. Both those accused were, in a way, guests of the BJP MP. Despite this, this BJP MP is still sitting inside the house as an MP with no jeopardy to his membership,” Mr Chadha added.

“On the other hand, 141 opposition MPs who questioned the security lapse in Parliament and the role of a BJP MP in it have been suspended by the Central Government. The BJP MP whose signature facilitated the visitor passes for both accused individuals who entered the house is yet to be suspended,” the MP further added.