ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD

Opposition Declines To Meet Centre Over the Suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs

Leaders of Opposition parties earlier held a meeting to deliberate over the Centre's invitation.

Updated
India
2 min read
story-hero-img
i
Aa
Aa
Small
Aa
Medium
Aa
Large
Hindi Female

Opposition leaders declined to meet the central government to discuss the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, Union Minister Piyush Goyal indicated on Monday, 20 December.

"The 12 suspended Rajya Sabha MPs should realise their mistake and talk to the Chair... The Opposition does not want Parliament to run. Causing disturbance and disruption is their mantra," Goyal stated, news agency ANI reported.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had called for a meeting of leaders of the four political parties – Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Shiv Sena, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) – whose Rajya Sabha MPs have been suspended, on Monday in the Parliament Library Building, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Sunday.

Following this, leaders of Opposition parties held a meeting on Monday to deliberate over attending the meeting called by the Centre.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said,

"We will not attend the meeting called by the Government. We will demand the resignation of MoS Home Ajay Kumar Mishra and revocation of suspension of 12 Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha. We will not let both Houses of Parliament function."

On 29 November, six Congress MPs, two lawmakers each from TMC and Shiv Sena and one each of CPI(M) and CPI were suspended for the entire winter session. CPI’s Binoy Viswom, who is the only member from his party in the upper house, was not invited to the meeting as he is among the suspended MPs.

'Unfair,' 'Opposition is United': Mallikarjun Kharge

Responding to the invite by Joshi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated that Opposition parties are united in protest against the suspension of the 12 MPs.

He added:

"We have been requesting from the evening of November 29 itself that either the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha or the Leader of the House Shri Piyush Goyal call leaders of all Opposition parties for a discussion to break the stalemate. This reasonable request of ours has not been agreed to, further inviting only leaders of four Opposition parties instead of inviting leaders of all Opposition parties is unfair and unfortunate."
Mallikarjun Kharge in a letter to Pralhad Joshi

He has urged floor leaders from all 'like-minded' parties to meet in the parliament.

Earlier, Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien had tweeted:

Background

Twelve Rajya Sabha MPs were suspended for the remaining session of the Parliament on 29 November, after allegedly creating ruckus in the House.

The 12 MPs include Elamaram Kareem (CPI-M), Congress MPs Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, R Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Binoy Viswam (CPI), TMC MPs Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri, and Shiv Sena MPs Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai.

ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD

However, the government will consider revoking the suspension if the MPs apologise, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has said.

The winter session, so far, has been a stormy one and has witnessed protests by the Opposition over issues such as the farmers' agitation, the recent civilian killings in Nagaland by the armed forces, and the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs for their protests during the monsoon session.

(With inputs from news agency ANI.)

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

0

Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from news and india

Published: 
Speaking truth to power requires allies like you.
Become a Member
3 months
12 months
12 months
Check Member Benefits
Read More
×
×