With the suspension of 141 MPs from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has issued a circular barring suspended MPs from entering the Parliament chamber, lobby and galleries.
Besides prohibiting the MPs from attending the sittings of any Parliamentary Committees that they are members of, the circular also stops them from putting down any item in the List of Business in their name.
They cannot table any notice during their suspension period or can vote at any elections to committees held during their suspension period. "They are also not eligible for the daily allowance for the suspension period if they are suspended from the service of the House for the rest of the session, as their stay at the place of duty is not considered as a residence on duty under section 2(d) of Salary, Allowances and Pensions of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, as amended from time to time," states the circular.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc has decided to hold a nationwide protest on Friday against the suspension of MPs. He said the coalition also passed a resolution condemning the suspension and calling the action "undemocratic".
Addressing a press conference after the INDIA bloc meeting, Kharge said, "If we have to save democracy we will have to fight together and all of us are ready for this fight."
"This is for the first time in India's history that such a thing has happened," Kharge said. "The issue that we had raised in the House was not a wrong one....How did those people enter the Parliament? Who facilitated their entry?"
"We had been saying from earlier, Home Minister (Amit Shah) or Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), should come to the House and apprise the House about the incident. But they did not agree. I do not understand. Parliament is going on, they go for inauguration in Ahmedabad...Modi ji goes to his constituency, and is giving speeches everywhere, why did he not come to Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. Their intention is to finish democracy," Kharge said.
"This is the first instance that so many people have been suspended," he said.
"The prime minister and the home minister are thinking that no one is better than them at ruling over the country. We have united to change that mindset", the Congress chief said.
