In anticipation of the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament on Wednesday, the suspension of 11 Rajya Sabha MPs has been rescinded. During last month’s Winter Session, a total of 146 MPs, spanning both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, faced suspension for staging protests, demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding a security breach in Parliament.
Of the 146, 132 MPs received suspensions for the remainder of the session, with their penalties lifted at the session’s conclusion. For the remaining 14 MPs—11 from Rajya Sabha and 3 from Lok Sabha—their case was referred to the privileges committees of both Houses.
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On January 12, the Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha lifted the suspension of 3 Lok Sabha MPs. Subsequently, on Tuesday, the suspension of 11 Rajya Sabha MPs was revoked. The Opposition had asserted that these suspensions were a government strategy to facilitate the passage of crucial bills without discussion.
During the previous month’s events, shocking scenes unfolded in the Lok Sabha chamber when two intruders jumped from desk to desk, deploying colored smoke canisters. A similar protest occurred outside Parliament by their co-accused. Investigators revealed that their objective was to draw attention to issues such as Manipur violence, unemployment, and farmers’ problems.
In response to the Opposition’s demand for a statement from the Home Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla maintained that the security inside the House falls under the secretariat’s purview, emphasizing that the Centre would not be allowed to intervene. He stated, “The government cannot intervene in (responsibilities of) Lok Sabha secretariat. We will not allow that either.”
