The Opposition’s protests in Parliament led to the suspension of over 140 of its MPs for "unruly behavior,” from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Both houses were adjourned for several days without doing any business.
Last week three young men and a woman breached Parliament’s security and caused a ruckus in the MP’s chamber as well as outside the building, shouting slogans such as "Long Live Bhagat Singh” and "No Autocracy.”
Instead of uniting our political parties on concerns about security, the incident started a political brouhaha. The Opposition claims it shows that young Indians are dissatisfied with the government’s policies. The government says the opposition is spreading anarchy and politicising the issue to regain ground after their recent drubbing in the polls.
The incident also shows how our Parliament has become a place for disruption and protests, and not much else. Parliamentary dysfunction is increasing with each passing year because its design has some serious, fundamental flaws.