The united opposition under the banner of INDIA Bloc held protests on 22 December across the country in all states against the suspension of opposition members of parliament in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
In Delhi, thousands gathered at Parliament Street in the protest which was addressed by leaders of all INDIA parties. Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary CPIML addressed the protest held at Jantar Mantar said that people of the country are protesting today at all state capitals as well as in many districts and even in panchayats against this attack by the Modi government on the country’s Parliamentary democratic system guaranteed by our Constitution.
The suspension spree which started with the expulsion of Mahua Moitra has now reached to the suspension of 146 parliamentarians. While the government doesn’t want any opposition inside the Parliament, it is required of the government to be accountable before the parliament in a parliamentary democratic system. The Home Minister must have made a statement on the security breach in the Parliament but this has now become a habit of BJP leaders to escape from the accountability inside the parliament. They hadn’t spoken on Manipur too. Even Prime Minister doesn’t take parliamentary sittings seriously, whenever his speaks it is as if he was addressing an election meeting! The BJP and its leaders are neglecting and disrespecting the Parliament, they are also attacking people’s right of voicing their concerns on the streets.
The eviction of MPs is one aspect of the same phenomenon which is being expressed in the framing of undemocratic Laws like the one that concerns with the selection of the Chief Election Commissioner. The Modi government countered the SC ruling that suggested making a committee by including the leader of the opposition, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Prime Minister. The three law amendments pertaining to criminal codes are nothing but bringing back the old British colonial legacy.
The government wants an Opposition-free Parliament, protest-free streets and no space in the republic for any dissent. It is not about the suspension of MPs but more about imposing a permanent dictatorship by killing democracy. This is our responsibility to build a nationwide united movement just like the freedom movement to protect our democracy and our Constitution. Whenever the people come on the street it is impossible for the Hitler’s followers and fascists to survive. The democracy and the Constitution will always be here for us.
The opposition parties held a demonstration in Bhubaneshwar demanding the revocation of the suspensions. The Mahagathbandhan parties marched on the streets of Patna in Bihar calling these suspensions a direct attack on the democracy and the parliamentary system. The CPIML independently and along with other left parties also held districts and block level demonstrations at many places. A big protest demonstration was organised at Gurdaspur and a joint protest was held Mansa in Punjab.
In Dehradun, capital of Uttarakhand, leaders of CPIML, CPI, CPIM, Congress and other parties were arrested and taken to the police lines when they were holding a march to the Raj Bhawan. A candle light protest was held in Lalkuan in the everning by CPIML and Congress activists. Left parties held a sit-in at the district collectorate in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, while protests were held at all the major centres in the state. A march was organised in Udaipur by the CPIML. Protest demonstrations were also held in Tripura, in Giridih in Jharkhand, Diphu in Karbi Anglong, and all other places.
