Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Mausam Noor on Thursday said that there was no question of apologising for protesting and raising questions in the Rajya Sabha and that they would continue their protest.
In a defiant stance, suspended Trinamool Congress MP Mausam Noor on Thursday said that there was no question of apologising for protesting and raising questions in the Rajya Sabha and that they would continue their 50-hour relay protest inside the Parliament complex.
Noor’s statement comes after Union minister Pralhad Joshi said that the suspension of Opposition MPs could be revoked by the Chair if they apologised and assured they would not show placards in the House.
Wednesday started a 50-hour relay protest inside the Parliament complex which will go on from 11 am on Wednesday till 1 pm on Friday.
They were later joined by four Congress MPs who had also been suspended from Lok Sabha for the remainder of the Monsoon session.
The 20 MPs, suspended over Monday and Tuesday, include seven from the TMC, six from the DMK, three from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), two from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and one each from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Nationalist Congress Party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, who have no members suspended, will also join the protests, sources said.
The CPI, whose one member has been suspended, said in a statement the suspension is an assault on the basic rights of freedom of expression of members of Parliament.
“The suspension of four opposition MPs of the Lok Sabha and 20 MPs of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha including two MPs of the CPI(M) on successive days is a serious blow to the democratic functioning of Parliament,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, in a show of solidarity and political strength, the opposition parties came together to create a duty roster for the protest with every party taking responsibility for making arrangements, including food, for those sitting on the dharna.
(With inputs from PTI)
