Parliament Winter Session: A total of 141 MPs — 95 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha — were suspended over two raising a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses over a demand from Union Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach incident due to alleged disruptive conduct and non-compliance with the Chair’s instructions.
Launching a blistering attack on the BJP-led Centre over the bulk suspension of Opposition members from both Houses of Parliament, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said democracy has been strangled by the government.
Addressing the Congress’s Parliamentary Party Meeting, Sonia said, “Democracy has been strangulated by this government. Never before have so many Opposition Members of Parliament been suspended from the house, and that too, simply for raising a perfectly reasonable and legitimate demand.”
“All that the opposition Members of Parliament asked for was a statement to be made by the Home Minister in the Lok Sabha addressing the extraordinary events of December 13. There are no words to describe the arrogance with which this request was treated,” she added.
Sonia Gandhi on Women’s Reservation Bill
Highlighting the Women’s Reservation Bill, the veteran Congress leader said, “We believe that the passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill with a rider – that it shall only be implemented after delimitation or a census, is an eyewash intended to mislead women and garner their votes while reneging on that which is rightfully owed to them.”
“Women’s representation in parliament is long overdue. There is no time to waste. It is our firm belief that reservation for women must be implemented immediately and it should cover women belonging to all communities including the OBC community. I congratulate our party colleagues in Telangana for working towards the assembly elections with dedication and determination. The people of Telangana have given us a clear mandate. We must strive our utmost to fulfil their trust and confidence,” she added.
/ptc-news/media/post_attachments/8ff4457f6ece7d010c663a83e5c8d622c4f489710324a55c7fd1d65c97f6ebf1.webp)
Sonia Gandhi on Assembly Elections
On the party’s rout in the Assembly elections to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Congress leader said the party’s ideology and values are the guiding light at this difficult time.
“To say that the assembly election results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have been very disappointing for our party is an understatement. The Congress President has already had a first round of reviews to understand the reasons for our poor performance and draw the needed lessons for our organization. We are facing enormous challenges, yet I am confident that our fortitude and resilience will see us through,” she said.
Further hitting out at the Centre, she said, “Diversity has been the strength that has distinguished India among the nations of the world. We have always been proud of the manner in which diverse religions, castes and ethnicities have co-existed and participated in building our beautiful nation. However, the actions of this government and the BJP have methodically weakened the very spirit of this unity. The Constitution of the Republic of India is under attack. Economic inequalities are widening. There is a significant gap between the Prime Minister’s boasts about economic growth and the ground reality.”
/ptc-news/media/post_attachments/24520d80518ccace787650015a0578897a8042a0ce6171715e16a170a3e90024.webp)
She also thanked the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge and other party leaders for their hard work and support.
