7 Congress MPs suspended for remaining period of Budget session

The Lok Sabha on Thursday (March 5) passed a motion suspending seven Congress members for the remaining period of the Budget session for their “gross misconduct” after they snatched papers from the Speaker’s table and showed “utter disregard” for House rules.

As soon as the House met at 3 pm following an adjournment, Meenakshi Lekhi, who was presiding the House, named Gaurav Gogoi, T N Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, Manicka Tagore, Rajmohan Unnithan, Benny Behanan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla for disregarding the rules.

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Once a member is named by the Chair, he or she cannot attend the House for that day.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi then moved a motion to suspend these members from the House for the remaining period of the Budget session. The motion was passed by a voice vote amid protests by opposition members.

Lekhi then asked the seven members to leave Lok Sabha chambers immediately and then adjourned the House for the day.

BJP welcomes suspension of Congress MPs

Calling the conduct of some Congress members in Lok Sabha as “unprecedented”, the BJP welcomed the decision to suspend seven “unruly” members of the opposition party from the House for the remainder of the session.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said his party has requested Speaker Om Birla to set up a panel to look into the continuous “indiscipline” by Congress members.

“Snatching papers from the Speakers table is utmost disrespect to the Chair. We condemn this,” he told reporters.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the “unruly” behaviour of the Congress MPs was “unprecedented”, and it would have shocked the country’s founding fathers. “We welcome the decision to suspend the unruly Congress members,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)