Suspended MPs' protest: Opposition cries foul, Tharoor says moment to start writing 'obituaries for Parliamentary democracy'

The Congress leader was part of the suspended MPs' march from the Parliament building to Vijay Chowk to protest against the suspension of opposition lawmakers, who were demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on the December 13 security breach incident.

Tharoor, the suspended Lok Sabha MP said, "The message is very simple, in a Parliamentary democracy we are looking at a situation in which the government, whose responsibility is to run the Parliament, is not taking its responsibility seriously."

He said that the Centre showed no willingness to honour the convention of Parliamentary democracy.

"A major security breach occurs, instead of fulfilling his duty as a minister, (Shah), insults Parliamentary democracy by not only refusing to appear in the House, which is his duty, but also going outside and issuing press statements, saying all the things that he could have said in the House," Tharoor said.

"In the conventions of Parliamentary democracy that is the rule. But it wasn't done. So from our point of view, what the government did was unacceptable and showed no willingness to honour the convention of Parliamentary democracy. Secondly, when Parliamentarians demanded the presence of the Home Minister and discussion on the issue, they were instead suspended," he added.

The suspended MP termed the passage of three criminal law bills-- the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita Bill and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill -- in the absence of 97 MPs in Lok Sabha, as 'disgrace'.

"It's an disgrace. In fact, just last year, one of the Supreme Court Justices observed that in the absence of legislative debates of opposition criticism and ministerial answers, it would be difficult for judges to interpret laws by understanding their legislative intent. So when even that is not possible for the judges, you can understand what a disservice to the country this government has done by bulldozing these laws through without even any pretence of consultation or discussion with the opposition," he said, adding that it is "truly a moment to start writing obituaries for the parliamentary democracy in our country" Tharoor said.

A total of 143 MPs -- 97 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha -- are currently suspended so far for creating a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses, while they were demanding a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah about the Parliament security breach incident.

Taking part in the protest march, another suspended MP, John Brittas of CPI(M), said, the Centre should now amend the Constitution to say that India is a monarchy.

"We are protesting against the brutal killing of the democracy; the democracy has been massacred. You could see the Union Home Minister unilaterally; this is Opposition-Mukt Parliament. They (the Centre) should now amend the Constitution to say that India is a monarchy," he said while speaking to ANI.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge on his X handle said that

that the passage of important legislations by suspending opposition MPs is not democracy, but 'authoritarianism'.

"We, the people of India need to Save Democracy. Passing important legislations by suspending Opposition MPs is not Democracy. It is the worst kind of authoritarianism. Our future generations will not forgive us, if we do not raise our voices against this dictatorship, NOW !" Kharge wrote on X. (ANI)