"Murder of democracy": Congress leader DK Suresh on suspension of MPs

New Delhi [India], December 21 : After the suspension of 146 MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP DK Suresh on Thursday slammed the Centre and termed it a murder of democracy.
MP DK Suresh was among the three Lok Sabha members suspended for getting into the well of the House and demanding a discussion on breach of security in the Parliament earlier in the day.
Speaking to reporters, DK Suresh said, "The breach of security in the Parliament tantamounts to an attack on the temple of democracy. We were only demanding an answer from the Prime Minister and the Home Minister and asking for an investigation to cover the MPs who issued passes to infiltrators."
"Instead of providing a satisfactory answer to the demands of the Opposition members, the BJP has resorted to suspending members from the House. A total of 146 members have been suspended. This is a murder of democracy," he said.
"When the session is in progress, it is the duty of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to express anguish and lay before the details of action. Instead of doing their job, they are accusing the Opposition," he stated.
"The Speaker of the House must give the Opposition members the opportunity to speak; instead, he has suspended most of the members. By doing so, the Speaker has taken away the freedom of speech. Every member of the House has a right to protest. This is nothing but an intimidation tactic of the ruling party, Suresh said.
"In the 75 years of democracy, many leaders from the BJP, including Vajpayee, Advani and Sushma Swaraj, have protested in the well of the House. But the credit for suspending the largest number of MPs goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said the Congress leader.
"Would the government have kept quiet if the passes were issued by the Opposition MPs? The Government is passing legislation in the absence of the Opposition MPs," he said.
Asked about HD Kumaraswamy raising the issue of an intruder in the Karnataka assembly, Suresh said, "He was an MLA at the time. He had every right to raise that issue. The breach highlights the lapses in the security apparatus of the new Parliament building."
Earlier in July, a man in his 70s entered Karnataka's Vidhan Soudha during Budget session and occupied the seat of a JD(S) MLA. He was arrested hours later. The person claimed he illegally entered the Assembly only because he wanted to attend the Budget session.
However, Kumaraswamy raised objections to Congress' hue and cry, which at that time failed to raise to the issue of security Karnataka's Vidhan Soudha.
When asked about R Ashoka's comment that Karnataka would see the rise of an Ajith Pawar and the Congress government would fall, he said, "He is living in a world of illusion."
When asked if he would welcome former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy contesting the parliamentary election from Bengaluru Rural, he said, "I welcome wherever he decides to contest the election from. In a way, he is responsible for me entering politics."
"Opposition parties are doing their job. BJP is the one that has thrown all its values into the wind and has entered into an alliance of convenience. People of the State will answer them," said Suresh.
Three Congress MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Thursday for the remainder of the Winter session for their "unruly behaviour."
Three Congress MPs, DK Suresh, Deepak Baij and Nakul Nath were suspended from the Lok Sabha taking the total number of members of the Lower House against whom such action has been taken to 100.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion for the suspension of DK Suresh, Deepak Baij and Nakul Nath."
This House has taken serious note of the misconduct of Deepak Baij, DK Suresh, and Nakul Nath in utter disregard to the House and authority of the Chair through the display of placards, entering into the Well of the House...may be suspended from the House for the remaining session," Joshi said.
This brings the total number of members suspended from both houses of Parliament to 146.
The three suspensions come after the Lok Sabha on Wednesday suspended two more opposition MPs for showing placards in the House.