Congress President Sonia Gandhi leads the party's protest outside Parliament (Agence France-Presse photo)
Sonia Gandhi today said the suspension of 25 Congress lawmakers from the Lok Sabha is a "murder of democracy." The Congress President was leading her party's lawmakers from both Houses in a protest against the suspension.
Here are the latest developments:
Her son and deputy Rahul Gandhi launched a fierce attack on the BJP government, asserting that there will be no let-up in the Congress' protests that have disrupted Parliament, till its demand for the resignation of three top BJP leaders is met.
In yet another swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Gandhi said in a reference to the latter's radio talks, "The Prime Minister has a habit of sharing his 'mann ki baat' (deepest thoughts). He should also try and listen to the mann ki baat of the people of India."
He ignored the BJP's warning of a lawsuit and emphatically reiterated his charge against Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, whose resignation the Congress wants for having helped tainted cricket magnate Lalit Modi. "There is clear evidence that Sushma Swaraj has broken the law," he said.
In a rare sight, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too joined the protest, held near a Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises. He said, "If we want Parliament to run smoothly, it's the responsibility of the government to take our demands into account."
The Congress is boycotting the Lok Sabha for the five days that its members have been suspended. It forced adjournments in the Rajya Sabha today with noisy protests.
On Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suspended 25 Congress lawmakers for five days for "persistently, wilfully obstructing" the House, the first time that so many MPs have faced disciplinary action together.
An angry Congress is expected to harden its stand on major reforms like the Goods and Services Tax or GST Bill, which the government needs to push through in this monsoon session, which has only eight working days remaining.
A two-thirds majority in both houses is needed to pass the GST bill as it seeks to amend the Constitution. The BJP-led government is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha or Upper House and will need the Congress' support there to pass the bill.
The Congress, which has 44 members in the Lok Sabha, has found support from other parties like the Aam Aadmi Party, Janata Dal (United), Trinamool Congress and the Left.
The Congress-led Opposition has not let Parliament function for a single day in the ongoing monsoon session. The Speaker's action came after repeated warnings to Congress lawmakers not to carry placards to the House.
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