This refers to the decision of the Lok Sabha speaker to suspend 25 MLAs from Congress Party for five days.
It is a pity that our elected "representatives" behave so unruly in the House for gaining some political points. The opposition could have engaged in a debate on the points raised by them first and then, if they are not satisfied (which they will not be) with the outcome demand for the resignation of the concerned minister, boycott the session etc. What business they have got to waste the public money by not allowing the parliament to function? Is this the way we expect our members to act?
The government on its part also could have taken many proactive measures to diffuse the situation. First and foremost is for the Prime Minister to come out of his silence and make his stand clear on the issue. His presence in the Parliament and a statement would have completely changed the situation, I am sure.If the ruling party thinks with the absolute majority they have got in the house, they can bully the opposition and take the things the way they want, they are living in a fools paradise, the least to say. The party managers should have learnt their lessons from the past mistakes committed by Congress and the way they suffered. Or is it that BJP is satisfied with the present set up and would not mind losing the elections next time, hoping to do all the damages they want in the current tenure itself?
The latest act of the Speaker also smacks of political expediency and partisanship. I fully appreciate the speaker's stand to remind the members not to raise placards , shout slogans etc. The same thing was made clear by Mr P J Kurian in Rajya sabha also. If the members were recalcitrant, the speaker could have, after a stern warning, named the members indulged in such actions one by one, making them ineligible to attend the session. Instead of doing that she came with a pre prepared list of 25 MPs belonging to one political party alone, while members from other parties were also doing similar things, which gives the impression that this was a pre planned move, with the connivance of the ruling partly leaders, including the PM. By doing so, the speaker has only led to aggravating the situation, instead of diffusing the same.
However, this act also has one advantage, akin to the one observed in the normal strikes resorted to by working class. Now the entire issue has been directed towards the suspension and the demand will be to revoke the same, forgetting the initial issue. Once a decision is taken in this regard, the house may work as normal again, I feel.
It is high time a decision is taken on the payment of allowances to the MPs who create such problems in the house.I am of the opinion that "Dies Non" should be made applicable to the MPs and MLAs as disrupting the proceedings of the house is not the job they have been entrusted to while they were elected.
