The Lok Sabha on Monday, 1 August, withdrew the suspension of four Congress MPs on the condition that they will not bring placards into the House.
Lok Sabha MPs, including Manickam Tagore, Ramya Haridas, Jothimani, and TN Prathapan, were suspended for the entire Monsoon Session on 25 July, for displaying placards and disrupting proceedings despite a warning by Speaker Om Birla.
The move had sparked protests and uproar from the Opposition party, with the Congress retorting that the Centre was trying to intimidate them.
Adding to this, MP Shashi Tharoor had said that the government is genuinely arrogant about its brute majority and seems contemptuous about the need to accommodate Opposition voices.
He further added that the suspension of four opposition MP's is "disgraceful, and marks a catastrophic breakdown of relations between the government and the opposition."
'Can't Come Inside With Placards': Pralhad Joshi
Following the Opposition's demands that the suspension be revoked, the central government on 27 July had said that that it would withdraw it provided opposition members assure that they will not enter the well or display placards in the House.
"With the speaker's permission, we are ready to withdraw, but are you ready to take guarantee that they will not come inside with placards and will not come into the Well. We are ready for debate, why is it a problem for the Opposition to take guarantee?" Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.
The demand for revocation of suspension of four Congress MPs was raised in the Lok Sabha by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Congress MPs were not present in the house. Many of them were detained after protesting at Vijay Chowk against the alleged misuse of ED and other probe agencies.
"Joshi ji has announced that the government is prepared to have a discussion on price rise, we are also prepared to take part in the debate. Let this issue be sorted out and let the debate start," said TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay.
DMK leader A Raja also urged the government to withdraw the suspension.
"With folded hands, I say don't value numerical strength in this House. Healthy debate will not stand before numerical strength. Please reconsider, withdraw the decision and thereafter we are willing to participate in the debates. On behalf of the DMK, I say that the suspension be withdrawn immediately," he added.
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