Parliament winter session: Opposition plans to continue protest in Rajya Sabha for a week

The Congress-led opposition on Wednesday decided to continue its agitation against the suspension of 12 MPs in Rajya Sabha for a week.

The Congress-led opposition on Wednesday decided to continue its agitation against the suspension of 12 MPs in Rajya Sabha for a week but opted out of major protests in Lok Sabha to allow normal functioning of the House, people familiar with the developments said.

Rajya Sabha adjourned following the continuous ruckus by Opposition MPs on suspension of members during the winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, on Wednesday. (ANI)

The opposition parties, which met at 10 am to chalk out the strategy for the floor of the house, decided to continue with the protests over the suspension both inside and outside Parliament.

The suspended 12 MPs, who staged a sit-in protest near Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament premises on Wednesday, decided to continue doing so tillthe end of the session, the people cited above said.

“Opposition leaders from all parties will come and protest in front of the statue before taking the protest inside the House,” CPI(M)’s Elamaram Kareem, who is among the suspended members, said.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed concerns over the “muzzling” of leader of opposition (LoP) in Upper House, Mallikarjun Kharge, who was allegedly not allowed to speak on Wednesday.

“The manner in which the LoP, who has a distinguished 50-year legislative career, is being treated by the Chair is unprecedented in Rajya Sabha,” he said.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), too, have decided to join the protests against the suspension of the MPS. The party, however, will stay away from the Congress-led opposition strategy meetings in the wake of growing distance between the Congress and TMC, especially after the latter poached several lawmakers and senior leaders from the former in recent months.

“We are there on a larger issue but maintaining our own identity,” TMC leader Saugata Ray said.

Opposition members, however, have decided not to create major impediments in the functioning of the Lok Sabha. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi, however, is likely to continue its protests over the Centre’s alleged low procurement of foodgrain in Telangana in the House, the people cited above said.

Opposition leaders have also decided to seek time for debate on a statutory guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP). They wanted to raise it during a debate on the bill to repeal the farm laws earlier this week, but the bill was passed without debate, triggering protests in both Houses of Parliament.