Suspension of 146 MPs from Parliament galvanises INDIA bloc

Meanwhile, many parliamentarians and legal experts feel that even in the redrafted form, the Bills “weaponised the police and the criminal justice system to give edge to the political leadership at all levels – centre, state and local, and even greater opportunity to abuse the criminal justice system for political gains through selective, targeted and politically biased prosecution against ideological and political rivals. The 28-party Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) organised a protest against undemocratic treatment meted out to them at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, that was attended by all the leaders of its constituents who hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During what turned out to be a joint public protest of concerned voices, senior leaders of the INDIA bloc while delivering at the Jantar Mantar accused the BJP government of throttling parliamentary democracy and subverting the constitution. Apart from the top Congress leaders, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja, Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s Sitaram Yechury, RJD’s Manoj Jha, ST Hasan of the Samajwadi Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) Tiruchi Siva, CPI (ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, RSP’s N K Premachandran, AAP’s  national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak and representatives of the TMC, National Conference, JMM and RLD were among those  present during the protest. “When everyone comes together, Narendra Modi won’t be able to do anything,” Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, highlighting the need to ‘save’ democracy, constitution and free speech. Kharge criticised the BJP government for not letting the Opposition speak when women and Dalits are allegedly assaulted, farmers are killed or the Constitution is violated. Meanwhile, opposition parties hit the streets and held protests across the country against a record number of members having been suspended from Parliament in the recently concluded winter session which had never happened in the parliamentary history before. While hailing opposition unity, Kharge slammed the passage of key bills in Houses and asserted that everyone had the right to speak in a democracy and no one could snatch away that freedom. “When women or Dalits are assaulted, farmers are killed, and the Constitution is violated, we give notices in Parliament but are not even permitted to read them. What should I say? Should I say the BJP and its government would not allow a Dalit to speak?,” he questioned. “In a democracy, everyone has a right to speak. You cannot snatch away that freedom. We got that freedom thanks to Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, and BR Ambedkar. These people gave us freedom. Even a mouse from your [BJP] house did not join the freedom struggle,” he said. “You threw away all Opposition MPs [Members of Parliament] and passed all the bills unopposed,” he added.