Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday revoked the suspension of eight opposition MPs after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved a motion in the lower House of Parliament.
The suspended MPs — Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, C. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, S. Venkatesh and Dean Kuriakose — all belong to the Indian National Congress.
The move came after Congress Chief Whip K. Suresh conveyed regret over what he described as the “inadvertent indiscretion” by some members during the proceedings.
The eight lawmakers had been suspended on February 3 during the Budget Session after they were accused of disrupting proceedings in the House and throwing papers towards the Chair during a heated exchange.
Rijiju, who moved a proposal in the House seeking to revoke the suspension of the MPs, received support from Dharmendra Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP).The suspension of the eight MPs was revoked through a voice vote.
Addressing the House, Rijiju emphasised the need for clearly defined boundaries to ensure the smooth and effective functioning of parliamentary proceedings.
“Rules are a convention of business,” he said, stressing that maintaining discipline and respecting parliamentary procedures was essential for the proper functioning of the legislature.
He also referred to earlier discussions between the Treasury benches and the Opposition regarding adherence to parliamentary rules.
Highlighting the importance of maintaining decorum in the House, Rijiju added, “If we form a Lakshman Rekha, then it will be easy for the House to proceed.”
“Yesterday, we had mentioned that if the Opposition helps us follow the rule of the House and of the Speaker, then we (Treasury benches) will do the same. If the Opposition agrees, then we can reciprocate it,” Rijiju said.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister also asked the Opposition to clarify its commitment to observing parliamentary norms in order to ensure smoother proceedings in the future.
Following the revocation of their suspension, the MPs visited the Parliament premises and paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.
(with agency input)
