MPs’ removal is a tool to kill democracy: Kharge

New Delhi: The BJP-led government at the Centre has "weaponised" the suspension of MPs as a convenient tool to "undermine democracy, sabotage Parliamentary practices and throttle the Constitution", Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday.

Replying to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Kharge wrote that the suspension was “executed without any application of mind, as can be seen by the suspension of an I.N.D.I.A. party MP who was not even present in Parliament”.

Dhankar had written to Kharge requesting him for a meeting on December 25 to discuss the suspension of the MPs.

Kharge also said that it is “regrettable” that the Vice-President condoned the home minister and the Centre for not making a statement in Parliament on the December 13 security breach. “It was even more regrettable that the home minister made his first public statement before a TV channel when the Parliament was in session and the Chair did not find that 'sacrileging the temple of democracy',” Kharge said.

"You have also mentioned that disorder was deliberate and strategised and predetermined. I would like to submit that if anything, it is the mass suspension of the Opposition MPs from both Houses of Parliament that seems to be predetermined and premeditated by the Government and I am most sorry to say, executed without any application of mind,” he said.

Referring to TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale’s post on X, but not naming anyone, Kharge said that the Chairperson would have been made aware about “a Union Minister” allegedly informing “an Opposition MP” that most Opposition MPs would be suspended before Home Minister Amit Shah would be present in the Rajya Sabha. “We would have expected the Chairman to have inquired if such a threat was indeed issued. Such comments grossly undermines the Chair who we believe is the final authority on conducting the House, including suspension of members,” he said.