Opposition demands return of 8 suspended MPs after 40 days, speaker stands firm

The political heat in Parliament shows no signs of cooling as the opposition intensifies its demand for the reinstatement of eight MPs suspended for “unruly behaviour” during the first part of the Budget session. The suspension, which includes seven Congress members and one CPI-M MP, has become a key point of contention between the government and the opposition.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal , along with SP’s Dharmendra Yadav , NCP’s Supriya Sule , DMK’s Kanimozhi , and TMC’s Shatabdi Roy , met Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, pressing for the revocation of the suspensions. According to sources, Rijiju assured the leaders that he would take up the matter with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla .

The discussion continued during a Business Advisory Committee meeting on Friday , where Congress chief whip K Suresh again raised the issue. The opposition highlighted the prolonged suspension, saying to the Speaker, “Sir, 40 days have passed since 8 MPs were suspended.”

Responding firmly, Speaker Om Birla reminded members of parliamentary decorum, stating, “If you climb on the desks of the House, this is the action that will be taken.” He emphasized that maintaining order in the House is non-negotiable, while also noting that the matter would be considered with care.

The suspended MPs, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, C Kiran Kumar Reddy, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Prashant Padole, Dean Kuriakose (all Congress) and S Ventakesan (CPI-M), were barred from the House for the remaining part of the Budget Session, which concludes on April 2 . Their suspension followed an incident on February 3 , when the MPs tore and threw papers at the Chair, protesting against the government on multiple issues.

Despite being outside the House, the MPs have continued their demonstration on the steps of Parliament’s Makar Dwar , with senior leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi joining them intermittently.

Sources indicate that the issue of suspended MPs remains the only major sticking point between the government and the opposition. Talks are also underway on allowing a discussion under Rule 193 regarding the West Asia conflict and its impact on India’s energy security , signaling a possible compromise on other parliamentary matters.

The coming days could determine whether tensions ease or whether the standoff escalates further as the Budget session progresses.