Breaking : BJP-led NDA suspends 141 Opposition MPs in 9 Years

Surat : The BJP-led NDA government in the Centre has made a history in 67 years by suspending 141 MPs from the opposition parties during the nine years of their rule. This is a serious concern for democracy, as it is the duty of the opposition to hold the government accountable and to represent the voice of the people.

A recent RTI filed by Sanjay Ezhawa, a vigilant citizen of Surat city, has revealed some shocking information about the number of MPs suspended by the NDA government. According to the data, 93 Lok Sabha MPs and 48 Rajya Sabha MPs have been suspended by the NDA government in 9 years. This is a significant increase from the number of MPs suspended by the UPA government in 10 years, which was only 18.

The NDA government has also been targeting opposition MPs from specific parties. For example, 54 Congress MPs have been suspended by the NDA government in 9 years, while not a single BJP MP was suspended by the UPA government in 10 years.

As many as 93 opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha and 48 MPs in the Rajya Sabha have been suspended by the NDA government 1 and 2 from 2014 till date. 545 MPs of Lok Sabha and 245 MPs of Rajya Sabha together are about 790 MPs in both sessions. About 17.85% of full seat MPs have been suspended by the NDA government in the last 9 years.

The NDA government has been using various articles of the Constitution to suspend opposition MPs, including Articles 374 A, 252, 254, 255, 257, 259 and 260. These articles give the government the power to suspend MPs for disorderly conduct, contempt of the House, or for obstructing the proceedings of the House.

Through this information provided by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, it is clear that many MPs elected by the people of the country are not even allowed to sit in the MP session.

However, many experts believe that the NDA government is misusing these articles to target opposition MPs and to suppress their voice. They argue that the government is using its majority in the Parliament to bully the opposition and to prevent them from speaking out against the government’s policies.

The suspension of opposition MPs is a serious threat to democracy. It prevents the opposition from holding the government accountable and from representing the voice of the people. It is also a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

In 2019, the BJP government came to power in the Lok Sabha by winning 353 seats through the NDA coalition. There are about 192 MPs from the opposition parties in the Lok Sabha, and 98 opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha, which comes to a total of 290 opposition MPs in both the houses. About 141 MPs have been suspended for some reasons or the other in the last 9 years. The percentage of which is 48.62%, which is a serious matter.

“The government must immediately stop suspending opposition MPs and allow them to perform their duties in the Parliament. The government must also respect the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression of all citizens. The right of the MP elected by more than 15 crore voters to speak in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions as the voice of the people has now ended” said Ezhawa.

How many MPs of which party were suspended?

Total 93 MPs suspended in Lok Sabha.

Indian National Congress INC – 43

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)- 34

Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-14

Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP)-1

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-1

48 MPs in Rajya Sabha.

All India Trinamool Congress party (AITC)-14

Indian National Congress (INC) – 11

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-6

Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M)- 5

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-5

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)-3

Communist Party of India (CPI)-2

Shiv Sena-2.

Who has been suspended most times in the Rajya Sabha?

1). Shri Sanjay Singh :- He serves as Rajya Sabha Member of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from Delhi. Sanjay Singh was suspended from Rajya Sabha maximum 3 times (2020,2022,2023).

2). Shri Santanu Sen :- He is an Indian Doctor and Member of Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. Rajya Sabha MP of All India Trinamool Congress He has been suspended from Rajya Sabha more than 2 times (2021, 2022).

3). Shri Dola Sen :- is an Indian politician and trade unionist. Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal of All India Trinamool Congress. He has been suspended from Rajya Sabha more than 2 times (2020, 2022).

4). Mr. Derek O’Brien :- is a television personality and quiz master. He is a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal and a member of the All India Trinamool Congress. He has been suspended from Rajya Sabha more than 2 times (2020, 2021).

5). Mr. Ilamaram Karim :- Trade unionist and member of Communist Party of India. He is currently an MP in the Rajya Sabha from Kerala. He has been suspended from Rajya Sabha more than 2 times (2020, 2021).

6). Shri Ripun Bora :- Member of Indian National Congress, he is MP in Rajya Sabha from Assam. He has been suspended from Rajya Sabha more than 2 times (2020, 2021).

7). Shri Shanta Chhetri :- is an Indian politician, Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal and a member of the All India Trinamool Congress. He has been suspended from Rajya Sabha more than 2 times (2021, 2022).

All other MP members are suspended from the House once.