Opposition leader Kharge holds govt responsible for 'obstructions' in Rajya Sabha

Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, has said that the government is responsible for "obstructions" in the Upper House, as it is unwilling to revoke its decision. He added the opposition is trying to safeguard the Parliamentary Democracy, and not creating ruckus in the House.

New Delhi: Days after continuous protest over the issue of suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the government is responsible for the "obstructions" happening in the Upper House as it is not willing to change its decision.

While addressing the media, Kharge said, "Government is responsible for the obstructions being created in Rajya Sabha. We have tried a lot to have normal proceedings of the House. We have met Speaker many times asking them to suspend MPs only under rule 256 but they don't accept it. They suspended our 12 MPs on the basis of an incident occurred in Monsoon Session. MPs cannot be suspended without getting named."

He further added, "Suspension should have been done on 11 August only. It is not under the Constitutional laws. So this is an undemocratic move to suspend MPs in this manner. We are again and again urging the Chairman to safeguard the Parliamentary Democracy."

He alleged that Adjournment of the proceedings of the Upper House proves that Government doesn't have the will to hold Parliament proceedings.

All the like-minded opposition parties have decided that until this suspension gets revoked, they will sit on a dharna at Gandhi statue by boycotting the Upper House.

Launching an attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "This is autocratic, dictatorship under which PM Modi is trying to hold Parliamentary proceedings."

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said to media, "Soon after the winter session commenced, the first things was done to repeal farm laws. When opposition demanded for a discussion, the govt moved a motion of suspension of MPs. This is totally undemocratic, rules of the Constitution are not followed. Opposition is not running away from discussion, we are demanding it. Here, parliamentary democracy is suffering a lot. So we are fighting to uphold democracy in Rajya Sabha."

When asked if the suspended MPs going to apologise to the Chairman, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh said, "Why would we apologise? It is the Centre that should apologise. These MPs were only raising the voice of our farmers. It was not a mistake."