Twenty suspended Rajya Sabha members Wednesday started a 50-hour relay protest inside the Parliament complex, with sources saying the Opposition declined the Chairman's offer that they express regret over their members' behavior in the House to get the suspension revoked. The MPs are holding the protest near the Gandhi statue and will stay at the site through the night, said Trinamool Congress' Dola Sen, who is one of the suspended The 20 MPs, suspended over Monday and Tuesday, including seven from the TMC, six from the DMK, three from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), two from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and one each from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Nationalist Congress Party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha who have no members suspended will also join the protests, sources said. "Question: What were Opposition MPs demanding Answer: A discussion on #PriceRise #GST hurting millions of people Action: Dictatorial @narendramodi govt suspends 24 MPs from #Parliament Next few days 24x 7 dharna at Gandhi statue. Peaceful satyagraha will always WIN," tweeted TMC's Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien.
While the Congress and other Opposition parties were protesting at different venues in the morning, by the evening, it seemed they had come together on the issue of price rise. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh visited the site of the protests and said his party will be part of the day-night dharna organised by the other Opposition parties. The CPI, whose one member has been suspended, said in a statement the suspension is an assault on the basic rights of freedom of expression of members of Parliament.
"The suspension of 4 opposition MPs of the Lok Sabha and 20 MPs of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha including two MPs of the CPI(M) on successive days is a serious blow to the democratic functioning of Parliament. "It is the Modi government that has been stubbornly refusing to accept any motion moved by the opposition under the Rules for a structured discussion on the burning problems being faced by the people, destroying their lives, like price rise, unemployment, etc." Opposition sources also said feelers from the "other side" has indicated that there is a view within the government that suspending 19 opposition MPs at one go in Rajya Sabha was a wrong strategic move and should have been avoided.
In fact, in the morning, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu met leaders of the Opposition parties in RS and an offer was made to them that if they express regret over their behaviour in the House, another resolution will be brought to revoke the suspensions, the sources said.
However, none of the leaders acquiesced, saying instead that the government should express regret over the decision of not discussing the price rise. With the suspension of the MPs in RS concluding on Friday, a discussion on price rise will be taken up after that. Sources in the Opposition also said a detailed plan of action has been drawn out for the dharna and a roster of duties was created which is being circulated on a dedicated WhatsApp group. While on Wednesday, idli-sambhar breakfast was organised by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, lunch with curd rice was arranged by the DMK. Dinner will be roti, daal, paneer, and chicken tandoori courtesy of the TMC. On Thursday, the DMK would be in charge of breakfast, the TRS of lunch, and the AAP will arrange dinner.
Sources said the parties have taken it upon themselves to appoint leaders to take turns of one to two hours to sit at the site in support of those who have been suspended. In fact, parties such as the NCP and JMM who have no members suspended will also join the protests, sources said. The leaders, however, will have to sleep under the sky, with their request for a tent being denied by the authorities, as no structures can be built, even temporarily inside the premises. The protesting MPs can, however, use the toilet in the bathroom of the Parliament library.
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