"Those who sponsored the intruders have not been suspended," Raghav Chadha said (ANI)
Reacting to the suspension of several MPs from both Houses, Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday said that it's not that some MPs were suspended but democracy has been suspended.
Forty-nine opposition MPs, including Farooq Abdullah, Supriya Sule, Dimple Yadav, and Shashi Tharoor, were suspended from Lok Sabha on Tuesday for the remainder of the winter session, a day after 33 MPs were suspended from the House for "misconduct."
Lashing out at the ruling BJP, Mr Chadha said, "What is most shocking and most unfortunate is the fact that the BJP member of parliament who sponsored and facilitated the entry of two intruders in the visitor's gallery who then subsequently breached the security of the Lok Sabha has not been suspended, expelled or called for an investigation. But those members who were seeking a response from the government on the security breach and the role of the BJP MP have been suspended. Those who sponsored the intruders have not been suspended."
"I would not say that some MPs were suspended but democracy has been suspended," the AAP leader added.
Terming the day as a black day in India's democracy, the AAP MP said, "On the suspension of MPs, I would say that it is a black day in India's democracy."
Meanwhile, suspended members belonging to the INDIA bloc alliance hit out at the BJP-led Centre, terming their suspension as the "ultimate failure" of the government and "anarchy" inside the Parliament while claiming that the ruling government is aiming at an "Opposition-mukt" Lok Sabha.
Reacting to his suspension, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said while speaking to news agency ANI, "...It is clear that they want an Opposition-mukt Lok Sabha and they will do something similar in Rajya Sabha. At this point, unfortunately, we have to start writing obituaries for Parliamentary democracy in India..."
"Today, in solidarity with my colleagues, I too joined the protest and everybody present has been suspended for the rest of the session which means they want to pass their Bills without any discussion. I think it is a betrayal of Parliamentary democracy..."
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "It is nothing but anarchy inside the Parliament. They (BJP) do not have an iota of faith in the parliamentary system in our country."
BSP MP Shyam Singh Yadav said that never in India's democratic history has one seen the suspension of so many MPs.
"Never in India's democratic history has one seen suspension of so many MPs from the Parliament. This shows that the governing party has become very arrogant... They are so high on their greed for power that they have lost all senses," Mr Yadav said.
With 49 Lok Sabha MPs suspended, the total number of opposition parliamentarians suspended from the two Houses has gone up to 141. The winter session will conclude on December 22.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)