BJP govt's arrogance not acceptable: Ashok Gehlot on suspension of MPs

Jaipur: Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday expressed concern over the suspension of MPs from both houses of Parliament.

He said the BJP-led NDA government's arrogance was not acceptable.

"The country is worried about what is happening in Parliament. Everyone knows their (BJP) agenda," Gehlot told reporters here.

"The way they are behaving is not acceptable to the opposition. This is not a game of enmity; politics is a battle of ideology," he added.

As many as 49 Lok Sabha MPs were suspended from the House for disrupting proceedings on Tuesday, a day after 78 opposition members were suspended from Parliament.

Gehlot said protests in the House are not uncommon and on one occasion during the Congress-led UPA government's rule, Parliament was not allowed to function for 12 days due to the protests by the BJP and other opposition parties.

He said a way must be found to end the deadlock.

Gehlot further said the BJP won the Assembly elections in Rajasthan by polarising voters whereas the Congress fought the polls on the agenda of development.

The BJP raised the issue of tailor Kanhaiya Lal's murder but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other party leaders did not speak about the killers being linked to the saffron party, Gehlot said.

In an unprecedented move, 78 opposition MPs were suspended from Parliament on Monday, the highest number of suspensions in a single day, drawing sharp criticism from the Congress and other parties that accused the BJP government of trying to bulldoze key legislations in an "Opposition-less" Parliament.

An additional 49 Lok Sabha members were suspended on Tuesday for disrupting House proceedings. INDIA bloc MPs have been demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the security breach in Parliament on December 13.

The action taken on Tuesday has brought the total number of suspended opposition MPs from both houses to 141 since last Thursday. AAP member Sanjay Singh has been suspended as a Rajya Sabha member since July 24.