The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday criticised the BJP-led central government for suspending its Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien and called for the immediate resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the Parliament security breach.
The TMC accused the government of failing to ensure the safety of Parliament while actively suspending opposition MPs from the House. O'Brien was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of the winter session. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar cited "unruly behaviour" and "misconduct" as reasons for the disciplinary action.
Opposition MPs expressed disapproval of O'Brien's suspension and raised concerns about the lack of action against the BJP MP who authorised the entry of the two individuals responsible for the security breach in Parliament on Wednesday. "Fifteen MPs were suspended whereas no action was taken against the BJP MP who issued the pass to the intruders. Is this justice? The home minister must immediately resign and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must come to Parliament and make a statement on the floor of the House," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.
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Apart from O'Brien, fourteen Lok Sabha MPs were also suspended today for disrupting House proceedings. The TMC leader said the BJP has failed to ensure the safety of the Parliament and the MPs, and now they are attempting to divert attention by suspending opposition MPs. "An MP has every right to ask questions, even if they are uncomfortable. The BJP is trying to deflect attention from its failures," said Ghosh.
O'Brien had sought a discussion on the breach in Parliament security. "Suspension and expulsion have become two potent tools of the BJP government to intimidate the opposition. However, such threats won't yield any results," he remarked. O'Brien, a three-time member of the Upper House of Parliament, had previously faced suspension from the Rajya Sabha on two occasions for alleged misconduct.
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In response, the opposition BJP in West Bengal dismissed the allegations as baseless. BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, "The TMC has maligned the state through its violent and corrupt politics. In Delhi too, TMC MPs are tarnishing the image of the state through their theatrics."
