"It is an assault on democracy": CPI General Secretary D Raja on suspension of MPs from Parliament

New Delhi [India], December 25 : Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja has expressed his anguish over the suspension of 146 MPs from both Houses of Parliament during the recently concluded winter session and said that it was an "assault on the democracy".
D Raja, while speaking to ANI on Monday said that the issue of suspension of the bulk of MPs should be 'primarily debated' instead of the viral video of suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee purportedly mocking the mannerisms of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
"The primary issue that has to be debated is the suspension of more than 140 MPs... Unprecedented in the history of India... So many MPs have been suspended from both of Houses...what does it mean? Parliament is made redundant. In our democracy, parliament is the supreme institution....that is why Dr Ambedkar said that Parliament belongs to the Opposition, but here, Mr Modi-led government eliminates the Opposition from the House, It means It is an assault on the democracy...," he said.
Significantly, a total of 146 MPs -- 100 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha -- were suspended in the Winter session for creating a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses over their demand for a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the December 13 security breach incident.
Notably, on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, two people jumped into the chamber of the Lower House of Parliament from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs.
During a protest over the bulk suspension of Opposition MPs on the steps of the new Parliament complex during the recent Winter Session, the TMC Lok Sabha MP came up with what appeared to be a crude impression of the Vice President.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was pictured videographing the act on his phone even as fellow Opposition members laughed and clapped.