- Monday, February 24, 2025
More than 140 opposition parliamentarians were suspended after they staged protest demanding a statement from home minister Amit Shah over the security breach at the parliament on December 13.
By: Shubham Ghosh
SONIA Gandhi, a senior member of India’s opposition Indian National Congress, on Wednesday (20) lashed out at the Narendra Modi government accusing it of “strangulating democracy” after more than 140 parliamentarians from various opposition parties were suspended for seeking a statement from home minister Amit Shah over the huge security breach at the parliament house on December 13.
Gandhi, who turned 77 this month, said never before in the history of the parliament that so many opposition MPs were suspended after raising a “perfectly reasonable and legitimate” demand.
All the opposition MPs asked for was a statement by the home minister in the Lok Sabha on the extraordinary events of December 13, but “there are no words to describe the arrogance with which this request was treated”, she said.
“What happened on December 13 is inexcusable and cannot be justified. It took four days for the prime minister to address the nation and express his views on the incident and he did so outside parliament. “By this, he clearly indicated his disdain for the dignity of the House and his disregard for the people of our country. I leave it to you to imagine how the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) would have responded had they been in opposition today,” the veteran politician, who had turned down the prime minister’s post in 2004 and picked Manmohan Singh for the top office instead, said.
Later in the day, Congress MPs held a protest against the suspension of opposition members outside Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the parliament complex. Sonia, who is also an MP in the Lok Sabha or Lower House of the parliament, was present.
Two intruders entered the parliament building and burst yellow smoke canisters, resulting in a massive chaos. Two persons also did the same outside the parliament. Six people were arrested in connection with the incident and a stringent anti-terror law was slapped against them.
Gandhi, who was the longest-serving president of the Congress party, said it has its task cut out for next year’s general elections both as a party and as a member of the opposition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc.
Noting that the results of the recently held state elections were not as per the expectations, Gandhi, who is the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, urged party MPs to channel their disappointment into positivity for next year’s big battle.
The Congress lost the states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — where they were in power to Modi’s BJP and failed to capitalise on anti-incumbency against the Hindu nationalist party in Chhattisgarh. They, however, won the southern state of Telangana.
This was the first time that Sonia Gandhi spoke on the recent assembly poll results.
Addressing party MPs at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Central Hall of Parliament, Gandhi said, “To say that the assembly election results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have been very disappointing for our party is an understatement.”
“We are facing enormous challenges. Yet, I am confident that our fortitude and resilience will see us through. Our ideology and our values are our guiding light at this difficult time. We must never forget that our leaders fought against insurmountable odds with great courage and fortitude to give us freedom.” Gandhi told the MPs to “channel the disappointment into a positive drive for the coming general elections”.
(With PTI inputs)
