Gaurav among 7 Cong MPs suspended from LS

NEW DELHI, March 5 – Gaurav Gogoi and six other Congress MPs were today suspended from Lok Sabha for unruly behaviour in the House. The suspension was ordered by Speaker Om Birla. The other MPs are TN Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, Manicka Tagore, Rajmohan Unnithan, Benny Behanan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla. They were suspended for their gross misconduct after they snatched papers from the Speaker’s table and disregard for House rules.

Once a member is named by the Chair, he or she cannot attend the House for that day. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi then moved a motion to suspend these members from the House for the remaining period of the Budget Session. The motion was passed by a voice vote amid protests by opposition members.

Meenakshi Lekhi, who was in the Chair then, asked the seven members to leave Lok Sabha chambers immediately and then adjourned the House for the day.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “This is not the Speaker’s decision but a decision taken by the government.

We will not be bowing down to this suspension.” He also said that “Our fight against the government will go on both inside the Parliament and outside.”