New Delhi: The Congress on Monday slammed the government over the suspension of Opposition MPs in Parliament, claiming that an "extreme level of dictatorship" was in place and "democracy has been suspended".
Soon after the suspension of 33 opposition Lok Sabha MPs, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said all democratic norms have been thrown into the dustbin by this "autocratic" government and it has shown zero accountability towards Parliament.
"First, intruders attacked Parliament. Then Modi government attacking Parliament and Democracy. All Democratic norms are being thrown into the dustbin by an autocratic Modi Government by suspending 47 MPs," he said in a post on X.
Thirteen Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha MPs were already suspended.
"We have two simple and genuine demands - The Union Home Minister should make a statement in both Houses of Parliament on the inexcusable breach in the Parliament security and a detailed discussion should be held on the same," Kharge said.
The Congress president said the prime minister can give an interview to a newspaper and the home minister to TV channels "but they have zero accountability left to the Parliament - which represents the People of India".
"With an Opposition-Less Parliament, the Modi Governmentt can now bulldoze important pending legislations, crush any dissent, without any debate," Kharge, who is also the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was also suspended for creating uproar in the house, said they have been demanding the House revokes the previous suspensions and the home minister make a statement in the House on the Parliament security breach of December 13.
Chowdhury said the Home Minister should let the people know about the security measures to be taken in Parliament.
"It is important to take the opposition along while running the House... but today's government has reached the the extreme level of dictatorship. They are wielding the stick of 'bahubalis' (musclemen). They have suspended everybody," Chowdhury said after the latest suspensions.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said 13 INDIA bloc MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha on December 14 for demanding a statement from the Home Minister on the security breach of December 13 and today 33 more INDIA MPs, including a number of floor leaders, were suspended from the Lok Sabha for making the same "perfectly legitimate demand".
"Tanashahi ka Doosra Naam ModiShahi hai— democracy has been suspended!" Ramesh said.
Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said, "This is a process for trampling upon the fundamental rights of the people by running a bulldozer over opposition power".
It shows the government does not want to run the House, he said, adding they have "stooped to such level" to hide the failures of the home minister.
"No action has been taken against the BJP MP with whom this issue began. The opposition is raising the voice of the people who are asking Amit Shah why four people breached the security of Parliament despite him being a powerful home minister," Gogoi said.
Congress leader K C Venugopal said Parliament has now become a place for suspensions not for discussion and debates.
"It appears the government is hell bent on destroying every last shred of democracy in India. Dismissing 47 opposition MPs, including our Lok Sabha Leader @adhirrcinc ji, shows that the BJP wants to finish off the institution of Parliament," he said.
The government must be held accountable in Parliament for the security breach that took place under their watch. Instead of taking action against the BJP MP who issued the pass to those intruders, the BJP is suspending opposition MPs, he said.
"With this attitude, they are ruining India's reputation abroad. India's goodwill comes from its 70-year-long track record as a robust democracy. With every such assault, they are putting us in the league of authoritarian regimes with dysfunctional legislatures and an overbearing executive," he said.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "This is the reality we are living with. It is shocking to see so many of my colleagues suspended for demanding accountability from the government in a parliamentary system! What is the point of a Parliament if Ministers do not wish to address it on issues of prime concern? Just to serve as a notice-board and rubber-stamp."
A total of 47 members of Parliament -- 46 from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha have been suspended so far.
Thirty-three opposition members were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Monday, including Congress leader in the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, DMK MPs T R Baalu and Dayanidhi Maran, and TMC's Saugata Roy for disrupting the proceedings.
While 30 of them were suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session, three were suspended pending the report of the Privileges Committee.
The three -- K Jayakumar, Vijay Vasanth and Abdul Khaleque -- had climbed on the Speaker's podium to raise slogans.
After being named by the Chair, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion regarding the suspension and it was adopted by a voice vote.
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