Eight Opposition members were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday for the remainder of the ongoing Budget Session over what was termed as “misconduct” inside the House. The suspension followed allegations that the members shouted slogans, tore papers, entered the Well of the House, and threw papers towards the Chair during the proceedings.

The suspended MPs include seven members from the Congress party — Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose, Prasant Padole, Kiren Kumar Reddy, and Manickam Tagore — along with CPI(M) leader S Venkatesan.

The action was taken after the House reassembled at 3 pm. Dilip Saikia, who was presiding over the proceedings at the time, named the eight members for their conduct during the session. Explaining the decision, Saikia said, “These members were shouting slogans and tearing up papers on the floor of the House, so I am naming them all.”

Following this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved a resolution seeking the suspension of the Opposition members. Rijiju cited their actions as a serious breach of parliamentary conduct and authority. He said the members had shown “misconduct” and an “utter disregard to the House and authority of the chair.”

Moving the resolution, Rijiju said the members had crossed limits by entering restricted areas and disrupting proceedings. He stated that the members showed “utter disregard to the House and authority of the chair through reaching the table of the Secretary General and other officers in the Well of the House and throwing papers on the Chair…”

He further added, “Having been named by the Chair, resolved that the above-mentioned members shall be suspended from the service of the House for the remainder of this session under Rule 374 (2).”

Rule 374 (2) of the Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure gives the Speaker the power to suspend a member for disorderly conduct. Under this rule, a member can be suspended for the remainder of the session if their behaviour is considered disruptive or disrespectful to the House.

After the resolution was moved and adopted, Dilip Saikia adjourned the Lok Sabha for the day.

The suspension came after a series of disruptions earlier in the day. When the House reassembled at 2 pm, Opposition members began protesting after the Chair allowed another member to speak while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was attempting to make remarks on national security. Rahul Gandhi was reportedly quoting from a magazine article at the time.

The Opposition objected to the decision of the Chair and raised slogans in protest. Due to the continued disturbance, Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was presiding over the House at that moment, adjourned the proceedings till 3 pm.

When the House resumed at 3 pm, the disruptions continued, leading to the naming of the eight Opposition members and their subsequent suspension.

The incident added to the ongoing tensions between the government and Opposition parties during the Budget Session. The Opposition members maintained their protest over being denied the opportunity to speak, while the government cited repeated disruptions as the reason for taking strict action under parliamentary rules.

With the suspension in place, the eight members will not be allowed to participate in the Lok Sabha proceedings for the remainder of the current Budget Session.