Government intends to make Parliament dysfunctional, says Kapil Sibal on suspension of 12 MPs

New Delhi [India], November 30 (ANI): Stating that the suspension of the 12 opposition MPs from Rajya Sabha is a "black day in the history of Parliament", senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday said that the intent is clear that the government wants to make the institution dysfunctional.
As many as 12 MPs from the opposition parties were suspended from Parliament's Winter Session for allegedly creating ruckus on the last day of the Monsoon Session. The suspension came after Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi wrote a letter to Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, who is the Vice President, for shocking violence on the last day of the Monsoon Session.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Sibal, former Union Minister, said, "It is a black day in the history of Parliament. The intent of the government is clear: it wants to make the institution dysfunctional."
He further said, "They (the government) know that if they suspend (the opposition MPs) in this fashion, without any hearing, or explanation, they know the opposition will react and some measures will be taken (by the opposition) such as boycott. Then the government, in turn, will blame that they (the opposition) are not allowing the House to run. In fact, it is the government that does not want the House to run. That's the reality."
"They (the government) have made this institution dysfunctional. They want to do what they want to do without Parliament. They passed a law (Farm laws) without discussion and now they have repealed it without any discussion. The bottom line is 'no discussion'," he added.
The Congress leader said, "If they want a discussion on their own terms, then what is the relevance of Parliament and Opposition?"
Suggesting that the suspension of MPs needs to be fought politically, the Congress Rajya Sabha MP said, "If one goes to court, it will languish in court and I wonder whether the court has the jurisdiction to decide matters which are internal to the House."
He also said that the government does not want to play with the rule of the game, which eventually leads to disillusionment with the institution among the people. The suspended MPs are Elamaram Kareem (CPM), Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, R Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh of the Congress, Binoy Viswam of CPI, Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri of Trinamool Congress, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai of Shiv Sena. (ANI)