14 opposition MPs suspended from Lok Sabha for disrupting proceedings

New Delhi: Fourteen opposition MPs from different parties were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remaining period of Winter Session on Thursday for disrupting House proceedings.

Amid demands from the opposition for a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the security breach in Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved two resolutions on separate occasions for the suspension of the MPs.

Before their suspension, the MPs moved into the Well of the House raising slogans with demand of a statement from the government on the Wednesday security breach.

The House witnessed the first adjournment during the question hour when it was adjourned till 2 pm amid opposition's uproar.

At 2 pm, Joshi read a statement on behalf of the government and said the internal security in Parliament comes under the purview of the Speaker.

He then moved a resolution amid the din to suspend five MPs.

"I move the following that this House having taken misconduct of T N Prathapan, Hibi Eden, Jothimani, Ramya Haridas and Dean Kuriakose in utter disregard to the House and the authority of this Chair and having been named by the chair … to be suspended from the service of the House for reminder session," the resolution read.

The House was then adjourned till 3 pm.

As soon as the House met at 3 pm, Joshi moved a second resolution to suspend VK Sreekandan (Cong), Benny Behanan (Cong), Mohammad Jawed (Cong), PR Natarajan (CPI-M), Kanimozhi (DMK), K Subbarayan (CPI), SR Parthiban (DMK), S Venkatesan (CPI-M), and Manickam Tagore (Cong).

An MP claimed later that Prathiban was named among the suspended MPs even as he is not present in Delhi and is in Chennai.

The House was adjourned to meet again on Friday. Some of the suspended members continued to protest in the House even after the adjournment. A few of them came out after some time.

Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Thursday held vociferous protests demanding a statement from the government on the Parliament security breach even as Speaker Om Birla asserted that security of the Parliament complex is the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The Winter Session of Parliament, which started on December 4, will conclude on December 22.