#WhatTheFAQ: 50-hour protest in Parliament by Opposition. What are their demands?

The protest began on Wednesday, July 27 during the ongoing Monsoon session of the Parliament after 20 MPs in Rajya Sabha were suspended. It is expected to end today at around 1.00 pm
Pic: Edexlive
Pic: Edexlive

The Parliament's Monsoon session is on, and it is not without its fair share of drama. A total of 27 Opposition MPs across parties have been suspended from the Rajya Sabha. And these MPs are now on a sit-in protest, demanding a discussion from the government on various issues. We take a look.

What led to the suspension of the MPs?
Initially, around 20 Members of Parliament from the Opposition began protesting inflation and rising prices of goods and services from the start of the current Monsoon session on July 19. On Tuesday, July 26, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha suspended 20 MPs from the house for a week after they left their seats during their protest against the government, and entered the 'Well' of the house. 

Who are the MPs protesting?
The suspended MPs were from Opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress, the DMK, TRS, CPI, CPI (M), and the Aam Aadmi Party. Later, Congress MPs and those from the Nationalist Congress Party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha also announced that they will be joining the dharna.

What are their demands?
The protesting MPs are on a 50-hour sit-in protest on the Parliament premises that began on Wednesday, July 27. While they began the sit-in in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue, heavy rains forced them to move it to the shelter of the entrance of the Parliament building. The protesting MPs are demanding that the suspension be revoked, and that the government allow a discussion on inflation and price rise in the country. 

What has the response been?
Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha met with the protesting MPs and said that their suspension will be revoked if they express regret for their actions and follow the rules. The BJP government's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi also told India Today in an interview that the MPs' suspension will be revoked if they follow the rules. However, the MPs demand that the government agree to a discussion on price rise, which they say is "hurting common people."

Is suspension of MPs a common occurrence? 
While the chair of the house on some occasions exercises his powers to suspend MPs to maintain decorum in the house, the rate of suspension has increased drastically in the last few years and has happened every year since 2019. Before the current BJP-led government came to power in May 2014, the suspension of MPs had happened only four times. 

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