Opposition protests Over Suspension Of 6 Congress MP's

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Opposition leaders gathered on Tuesday morning at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament to protest against the suspension of six Congress lawmakers by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan yesterday.

 The MPs had torn official documents and thrown the pieces at the Speaker's chair. The five-day suspension means that they will not be able to attend the presidential oath ceremony in Parliament's Central Hall in a short while from now.

 The Congress has called the suspension "harsh." The party's leader in the Lok Saha, Malikarjun Kharge said this morning, "Without any reason six of our MPs have been suspended. It is not right to take such action without passing any notice or conducting any enquiry."

Alleging that Ms Mahajan acted under pressure from the ruling BJP, Mr Kharge also invoked former Speaker Meira Kumar, who was fielded by opposition parties this year against Mr Kovind for the post of President. 

"We can't comment on the Speaker but at the same time we want justice as well.When Meira Kumar was the Speaker, the opposition disrupted the House many times but she never lost her cool. She handled the work with patience," the Congress leader said. 

 On Monday, as she announced the suspension, an upset Ms Mahajan had said, "The entire country should watch this...Show it, let them watch." She said that the Congress lawmakers grabbed files from a table in the well or centre of the Lok Sabha and tore and threw paper.

 "Those are official papers. Doing that is a crime," she said, adding, "Creating a ruckus at the Well is non-disciplinary in itself but tearing up paper and throwing it at the Speaker four times was worse." 

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