(Eds:Updatingwithdetails): Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu noting that the 12 suspended members caused irreversible disgrace to the House and demanding exemplary remedy which will not only act as deterrence but also restore the credibility of Parliament.
Mr Joshi also said the government is open to their suspension being revoked if they apologise to the Rajya Sabha chairman.
The 12 opposition MPs were suspended from Rajya Sabha on Monday for the entire Winter session of Parliament for their "unruly" conduct in the previous session in August.
Leaders of 12 opposition parties condemned the government for bringing the motion that led to the suspension of the 12 members. The opposition leaders termed the suspension "unwarranted and undemocratic", and alleged that the action was in violation of all rules and procedures of the Upper House.
Talking to reporters, Mr Joshi said the entire country knows how the opposition behaved on August 11, the last day of the Monsoon session. "All clippings are available on social media as they themselves have put it on social media. This was the first available opportunity to take action and the Chair has taken action."
Mr Joshi further said the government had requested the opposition MPs to apologise but they refused and therefore, this decision has been taken.
"If they apologise to Chairman in the House, then the government is open for taking back motion to suspend them," he said.
In his letter to Mr Naidu, the minister mentioned in detail the incidents of unruly and violent behaviour of the suspended MPs and dubbed their behaviour as "unlawful, criminal and contemptuous".
"The 254th Session of Rajya Sabha would indeed be counted as most reprehensible and shameful session in our Parliamentary history," Mr Joshi said about the Monsoon session.
Stating that the disgrace caused is irreversible and no amount of condemn and repent can undo the damage it has done, the minister said the unruly and reprehensible acts such as standing on the table, throwing files at the Chair, obstructing the parliamentary staff from performing their duties, compounded by violent behaviour by some MPs, have brought disrepute to Indian democracy.
"These unfathomable circumstances demand exemplary remedy which would not only act as deterrence against any such future unruly and violent incidents but also endeavour to restore the credibility of Parliament in the eyes of its electorate. It is our bounden duty to set highest standard of personal and professional conduct and any deviance therefrom should invite strictest measures," Mr Joshi said.
Justifying the action against the MPs, top sources in the government said during the Monsoon session the opposition broke many conventions of protests as well and adopted a violent approach.
The opposition did not even allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce his Council of Ministers after a reshuffle-cum-expansion, they said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)