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From voting to daily allowances – What suspension means for opposition MPs
Several opposition members were suspended after they stormed the Well of the House shouting slogans against the government and holding placards.
After the lower house of the Parliament suspended 49 more Opposition members on Tuesday, the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a circular outlining strict measures restricting the suspended MPs from various parliamentary activities. The circular detailed the repercussions of the suspension, stating that the MPs are prohibited from entering the Parliament chamber, lobby, and galleries for the duration of their suspension.
"They stand suspended from sittings of Parliamentary Committees of which they may be a member, No item is put down in the List of Business in their name," read the Lok Sabha circular.
“No notice tabled by them is acceptable during the period of their suspension. They cannot vote at elections to committees held during the period of their suspension,” it added.
The circular also addressed financial implications for the suspended MPs, stating, "They are not entitled to the daily allowance for the period of suspension if suspended from the service of the House for the remainder of the session."
This clause clarified that their stay at the place of duty could not be regarded as a residence on duty, under section 2(d) of the Salary, Allowances, and Pensions of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, as amended from time to time.
In an unprecedented move, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha collectively suspended 141 MPs, 95 from the Lok Sabha and 46 from the Rajya Sabha till at least the remainder of the ongoing winter session, deepening the crisis in the Parliament where some crucial bills were tabled, briefly discussed, and sailed through.
The bone of contention remained the Opposition’s demand that Union home minister Amit Shah speak in Parliament and a discussion be held on the December 13 security breach, when two men stormed into the Lok Sabha and set off smoke cannisters on the floor of the House.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said a nationwide protest will be held on December 22 against the suspension.
"We have taken several decisions, one is on the suspended MPs. We will fight against this; this is wrong...We have united to fight against this. We have decided to hold an all-India protest against the suspension of MPs on December 22," Kharge said on Tuesday.
