Opposition MPs Protest Amid Suspensions and Security Breach Controversy in Parliament

Opposition MPs, who were recently suspended from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, staged a protest march on Thursday morning from the old Parliament building to Vijay Chowk in central Delhi. Covering a distance of about a kilometer, they carried a prominent "Save Democracy" banner and held placards with messages such as "Opposition MPs Suspended! Is This The End of Democracy?" and "Parliament Caged, Democracy Expelled!"

The protest unfolds against the backdrop of a heated dispute between some opposition members and the ruling BJP. Over 140 MPs were expelled for what was labeled as "unruly conduct," specifically their loud and persistent demands for the government to address a recent security breach in Parliament. This breach occurred on the 22nd anniversary of a terrorist attack on the old Parliament building, which resulted in the loss of nine lives.

Despite calls for formal statements from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, both declined, citing national security concerns. However, they did engage with the media. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, present at the protest, accused the BJP of lacking faith in democracy. He highlighted the opposition's repeated requests to the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman to address the security breach in Parliament.

"We wanted to raise the issue of Parliament security breach. We are repeatedly requesting the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman to allow us to speak on the security breach," expressed Mr. Kharge to reporters. Criticizing the absence of PM Modi and Home Minister Shah in the parliamentary sessions, he emphasized, "PM Modi, Home Minister should have spoken in the House on security breach... (but) PM spoke elsewhere and did not turn up in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha."

The government has maintained a stance of non-discussion on the breach, asserting that it is currently under investigation. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, responsible for parliamentary security, assured that the full report would be made available to opposition MPs. However, the opposition insists that either PM Modi or HM Shah address Parliament directly on this critical issue.