NEW DELHI, Dec 18
CONGRESS LEADER in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Sunday wrote to Speaker Om Birla, urging him to revoke the suspension of 13 Opposition MPs during protests over the security breach in Parliament last week.
“Since the seriousness of the matter lies in this fact, which relates to our own security, Members of the Opposition are duty-bound to demand an explanation from the Government and expect corrective measures to be taken urgently. The sensitivity of the matter and issues involved may have led to ‘heated situations’, and as the custodian of the ‘dignity and decorum’ of the House you are bound to take remedial action when matters perceivably go out of the way in enabling the House to function smoothly,” Chowdhury wrote. “However, considering the fact that the Members who have been suspended on account of ‘unruly conduct’ were pressing for an explanation from the Government on very troubling issues, to me, it appears to be appropriate to hear them on their concerns and points of view. Considering the factors that led to the suspension of 13 members in the recent days, I would urge that the matter be re-looked into holistically and appropriate action taken for revoking the suspension and restoring order in the House,” he wrote. The letter came a day after the Speaker wrote to all MPs, urging them to give primacy to the dignity and decorum of the House. Opposition MPs stalled proceedings in both Houses of Parliament Thursday and Friday, demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a discussion on the security breach. They also demanded presence of PM Narendra Modi in the House and action against BJP MP Pratap Simha who facilitated passes for the two who jumped off the visitors’ gallery in Lok Sabha and burst colour canisters.
Referring to the security breach, Chowdhury said in his letter that the incident was different in nature from the December 13, 2001 terror attack on Parliament House. “Yet, the incident of 13th December, 2023, has also brought to the fore issues relating to the security of the Institutions which are the core of our democratic practices and ethos,” he wrote.
“It is primarily on account of factors such as these that following the attack on Parliament House on 13th December, 2001, the then Home Minister, Shri Lal Krishna Advani made a detailed statement on the incident in the House… . In the present instance too, it is but appropriate for the Home Minister to make a statement in the House on the incident.” He suggested a review of the procedures for entry of visitors to Parliament.
