Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
Credits: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Slamming the opposition over disruptions during Winter Session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said the government was not keen to suspend MPs from Lok Sabha, but opposition members came with requests for suspension after action was taken against some of their colleagues.
Addressing a press conference here, Joshi also said the opposition was free to move court against the three new criminal laws if they felt something was wrong with the draft legislations approved by both the Houses of Parliament.
"We did not want to suspend MPs, we requested them. But after we suspended a few MPs, several of their colleagues came with requests to us seeking suspension. This is the level the Congress stoops to," said Joshi, flanked by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Joshi said the government's floor managers had told the opposition MPs that action was taken against those indulging in indiscipline by bringing placards to the House.
"They told us that they will also indulge in indiscipline and wanted us to suspend them," the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.
As many as 146 MPs – 100 from the Lok Sabha and 46 from the Rajya Sabha – were suspended for unruly behaviour and carrying placards.
At the outset, Joshi said the Winter Session which concluded on Thursday, was by and large the last session of the 17th Lok Sabha as the Budget Session would approve the Vote on Account and was unlikely to transact any legislative business.
He said the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha was historic as it saw the reading down of Article 370 with regard to Jammu and Kashmir and the just concluded Winter Session witnessed the shedding of the vestiges of the British Raj-era legal doctrines from the criminal justice laws.
Launching a broadside against Rahul Gandhi, Joshi said the former Congress president was "enjoying" while recording videos of a fellow Lok Sabha member mocking a Constitutional authority.
The minister said the Congress and other opposition parties were hunting for a reason to disrupt the Parliament proceedings to vent out the frustration of its defeat in the assembly elections.
"The Congress is not responsible when in power and most irresponsible when in opposition," Joshi said.