Suspension of 141 MPs: Shashi Tharoor slams govt over "travesty of parliamentary democracy"

File Photo/PTI

The suspension of over 140 Members of Parliament (MPs) has triggered a vehement response from Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of betraying parliamentary democracy and reducing it to a "travesty."

Tharoor, himself suspended on Tuesday, addressed reporters following his participation in the opposition's protest against the mass suspension. He asserted that the accountability of the council of ministers to Parliament, a fundamental principle of parliamentary democracy, had been compromised.

Shashi Tharoor underscored the extraordinary nature of the situation, emphasizing that no other parliament across the globe had ever suspended or expelled 150 lawmakers simultaneously. He decried the suspension of opposition MPs, stating that it had "besmirched" the history of parliamentary democracy in India.

The trigger for the suspension was the opposition's call for a discussion on a security breach. The demand included a request for the home minister to address Parliament directly. Shashi Tharoor alleged that despite this call, the home minister opted to communicate through media statements and interviews outside Parliament, refusing to engage in a discussion within the legislative body.

The Congress leader argued that the opposition's protest was proportionate to the perceived offense, which was a call for the home minister's participation in a parliamentary discussion. He lamented the government's disproportionate reaction to the opposition's actions, leading to a wave of suspensions.

As the number of suspended MPs reached 141, with 49 additional lawmakers facing action on Tuesday for unruly behavior, the INDIA coalition announced nationwide anti-government protests scheduled for Friday. Tharoor stressed that the opposition had entered the Winter Session with a commitment to cooperate fully with parliamentary proceedings.

Also read: After 141 MPs suspended, Oppn leaders compare Parl with ‘N Korean assembly'

Expressing disappointment, Tharoor accused the government of hindering responsible opposition functioning. He contrasted the current scenario with the opposition's approach during their tenure in power, stating that accommodating the opposition's interests was crucial for fostering a functional democracy.

"We have seen when we were in power how important it was to accommodate the opposition's interest. If we had been in this position, we would have had the home minister come for 10 minutes, we would have had a discussion for half an hour or 45 minutes, that would have defused the situation. Instead, time has been wasted, the history of parliamentary democracy has been besmirched in our country," Tharoor asserted.

He expressed a sense of betrayal, leaving the House with the feeling that "our entire parliamentary democracy has been betrayed and reduced to a travesty."