New Delhi: Proceedings of the Lok Sabha were disrupted on Tuesday after repeated protests by Opposition members over key issues, prompting the Speaker to take disciplinary action and suspend eight MPs for unruly behaviour.
The suspension came during the Question Hour when several Opposition MPs stormed the Well of the House, raised slogans and refused to return to their seats despite repeated warnings from the Chair. The Speaker said the conduct of the members was “against parliamentary decorum” and “left no option but to act in the interest of maintaining order in the House.”
According to parliamentary sources, the suspended MPs belong to multiple Opposition parties and will remain out of the House for the remainder of the ongoing session unless the suspension is revoked.
As the disruption continued, the Speaker adjourned the House briefly before announcing the decision. “This House runs on rules and discipline. No member is above parliamentary procedure” the Speaker said while naming the MPs.
The Opposition accused the government of suppressing their voice and claimed they were protesting over issues including inflation, unemployment, and alleged irregularities in recent policy decisions. Senior Opposition leaders said the government was avoiding debate by using suspensions as a tool to silence dissent.
“This is an attack on democracy. We were only demanding a discussion on urgent national issues,” an Opposition leader told reporters outside Parliament.
The ruling party, however, defended the action, stating that repeated disruptions were wasting public time and preventing legislative business. “The Opposition does not want the House to function. The Speaker acted according to rules,” a senior minister said.
Due to the chaos, several important items listed for discussion, including bills and question submissions, could not be taken up during the session.
Parliament has witnessed frequent disruptions since the beginning of the Budget Session, with both sides trading blame over stalled proceedings. The latest suspension is expected to further intensify political tensions between the government and the Opposition.
The Lok Sabha is scheduled to reconvene later in the day, though uncertainty remains over whether proceedings will continue smoothly.
