Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) and Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi is in the eye of the storm – with the winter session underway in the Parliament. She, along with 11 other MPs, from different Opposition parties, have been suspended for their allegedly unruly conduct in the house during monsoon session of the Parliament that was held earlier this year.
In an interview with The Quint, Chaturvedi called this an "unconstitutional practice" that has stifled the spirit of democracy.
"First of all, I would like to clarify to the audience that the suspension has been done not for discussing the controversial farm laws but for opposing the privatization Bill of insurance companies. We were opposing the bill being brought suddenly. The central government tabled the bill arbitrarily passed. The biggest objection is that this session has been suspended for the uproar of the last monsoon session. Such suspension is against the rules of Parliament."Priyanka Chaturvedi to The Quint
"That is why this suspension has been done in a non-constitutional way, the opposition is standing up over this matter," she added.
The suspended MPs include Congress's Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Hussain and Akhilesh Singh; Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai; Trinamool Congress's Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri; Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s Elamaram Kareem; and Communist Party of India's Binoy Viswam.
'Her Resignation From Sansad TV'
Following the passing of suspension order, the Opposition parties condemned the 'undemocratic' and 'unprecedented' move. MPs have been protesting outside the Parliament since then.
Chaturvedi wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu on 5 December, saying that she would like to step down as the anchor of a TV show 'Meri Kahaani' on Sansad TV.
“After my arbitrary suspension, that has totally disregarded established Parliamentary norms & rules, to stifle my voice, my party’s voice inside the chamber, I am unwilling to continue taking space on Sansad TV when my primary oath to the constitution is being denied to me," she said, in the letter
Speaking to The Quint, Chaturvedi said that despite being an Opposition MP, she decided to do the show to uphold the spirit of democracy.
"My show was about interviewing women MPs on their journeys to inspire women to enter active politics. But the highest number of women have been suspended. In the uproar in Parliament, women MPs were pushed, some broke their legs, and some had to be taken to the hospital. Not only this, our side was not even heard before suspension," she said.
Message to Centre
The suspended MPs and their colleagues have noted that the suspensions have hampered the democratic proceedings of the Parliament.
"When you suppress dissent and differences, then you shake the very foundation of Indian culture. We will not allow the killing of democratic values like this. Otherwise, future generations will see a parliamentary democracy where discussion and dissent have no place," Chaturvedi said.
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