Congress MPs suspended amid LS adjournment

New Delhi, Dec 14: The Lok Sabha was on Thursday again adjourned amid uproar by the opposition MPs while five Congress MPs were suspended for the remainder of the session after being named by Speaker Om Birla.

Soon after the House assembled, the opposition members raised slogans demanding the presence of the Prime Minister in the House.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said: “We all agreed with a heavy heart that the unfortunate incident that occurred yesterday was a serious incident concerning the safety and security of the MPs. We have to appreciate that the Speaker promptly held the meeting with all the floor leaders and listened to their suggestions for further strengthening of the security in Parliament.”

He said that some of the suggestions given have already been implemented.

“The Speaker also observed this morning that in future further measures will be taken to strengthen the security. In my opinion this matter concerns all and we need to speak in one voice on such a grave issue. No politics is expected to be done by anyone on such issues,” Joshi said.

He urged that we should rise above party politics. “In the past also many such incidents have taken place. I am not comparing the past incidents and not defending today's incident to bring a bright future.”

He cited the example of April 11, 1974, when a person named Ratan Chandra Gupta shouted slogans besides carrying two pistols in the House.

He also cited several other incidents of the security breach in the Lok Sabha amid sloganeering by the opposition members, who kept on raising slogans ‘Pradhan Mantri sadan me aao’.

The Minister also said that these kinds of unfortunate incidents have been happening since the beginning -- shouting slogans, throwing papers and jumping from the gallery.

He also said that the Speaker has already written to the Home Secretary for a high level enquiry and enquiry has begun.

Joshi also said that he wants to bring one more resolution in the House.