Cong, Oppn leaders protest for 2nd day against MPs'' suspension

New Delhi, August 5

Congress top brass Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh and leaders of six other Opposition parties today staged a dharna in Parliament complex for the second day today in protest against suspension of its MPs.

Sharad Yadav and KC Tyagi of the JD-U, Dharmendra Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Jaya Prakash Narayan Yadav of the RJD, P Karunakaran of the CPI-M, D Raja of the CPI and E Ahamed of the IUML were among other political party leaders who participated in the protests.

The Congress chief vociferously raised slogans along with other protestors denouncing the Narendra Modi dispensation.

“End dictatorship”, “Prime Minister break silence”, “Where the “Achhe din” have gone”, and “Sushma Swaraj resign” were among the slogans raised by the protestors who also carried black flags.

“We will continue the agitation tomorrow”, Sonia Gandhi told reporters.

The Congress leader said she was not aware of any proposal from the government to end the logjam or for revocation of the suspension of the 25 Congress MPs.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi said,, “We have not liked the Lok SAbha Speaker’s decision on suspension of Congress MPs but we respect her position”.

Party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia said suspended MPs will not seek an apology from Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who, he alleged, had acted “partially” against only Congress members.

He claimed that some 200 members of the BJP had raised placards in the current session itself, but not a single of them was suspended.

“Where is the question of apology? What wrong has been done? Carrying placards has been going on for the past 65 years”, he remarked.

Speaking to reporters, SP leader Dharmendra Yadav said, “We were trying to make a statement in the Lok Sabha but we are not allowed to do so. So we walked out of the House”.

Yadav said, “Unless we are given the opportunity to speak in the House, we will continue to boycott.” RJD MP Jai Prakash Yadav said suspension of the Congress MPs was a black day for democracy.

Threatening to intensify the fight against “BJP’s autocratic rule”, the RJD leader said, “We will continue the fight against this (suspension order). We will take the fight to the street.”

BSP leader Mayawati said suspension of the 25 Congress MPs is not right and it should be revoked. — PTI