Kanimozhi is the DMK's Lok Sabha MP from Thoothukkudi constituency in Tamil Nadu (file).
New Delhi:
DMK MP Kanimozhi – one of 15 opposition leaders suspended for the remainder of Parliament's winter session this afternoon amid protests over Wednesday's security breach – has criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for double standards in accountability of parliamentarians.
Speaking to NDTV, she highlighted the lack of action against Prathap Simha – the BJP MP whose office issued passes to the two men who smoke-bombed the Lok Sabha – after the Trinamool Congress's Mahua Moitra was expelled from the House over unproven corruption allegations had been.
“I don't know how demanding the government to explain how yesterday's security breach occurred can result in our 'unruly behavior'. They suspended 15 of us, but the MP who issued the cards is still in Parliament… he hasn't been suspended or even called for an investigation,” she said.
“The government says 'national security' and disqualifies a Trinamool MP (Mrs Moitra), but someone who let the men into the Lok Sabha is still there… and we have been thrown out.”
“Does the BJP understand what democracy means?” Ms. Kanimozhi asked.
READ | 15 opposition MPs suspended for disrupting House proceedings
Parliament resumed this morning, but both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were immediately and repeatedly adjourned following protests from opposition MPs demanding either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement on the smoke attack to give away.
Both chambers rejected this demand; Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, whose office is responsible for security in Parliament, and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar issued statements assuring MPs of a thorough investigation, which began with the suspension of eight Delhi Police officers this morning .
However, opposition MPs remained steadfast in their demand and dozens of adjournments were postponed; Over two dozen were filed in the Rajya Sabha alone, news agency PTI reported.
However, all were rejected. “Yes, all communications have been rejected. We have asked either the Home Secretary or the Prime Minister to come and tell us what happened… to explain how this security breach occurred. Parliament is supposed to be a safe place and the entire cabinet, including the Prime Minister, comes to Parliament. If this place is not going to be safe, that raises a lot of questions.”
“We asked them to explain, but no one came… no one explained,” she said.
As the chaos continued, 14 members of the Lok Sabha, including Ms Kanimozhi, and Derek O'Brien, a Trinamool MP in the Rajya Sabha, were barred from Parliament for the remainder of this session, which is all but the last full session Vote in February ahead of next year's general election.
Nine of the 14 suspended Lok Sabha MPs are from the Congress. The DMK suspended Ms Kanimozhi and her party colleague SP Parthiban. The others are from left-wing parties.
READ | Trinamool's Derek O'Brien suspended from Rajya Sabha for 'unruly behaviour'
Congressman KC Venugopal called the suspensions a “terrible, undemocratic move.” “…there is no action against the BJP MP who facilitated the entry of the miscreants. This is murder of democracy. The BJP government has reduced Parliament to a rubber stamp…,” he said on X (formerly Twitter).
Ms Kanimozhi told NDTV that when BJP lawmakers were in opposition, they also protested at the Parliament House – an action now viewed by the saffron party as unbecoming of MPs.
“We were in the well protesting and asking for an explanation. They said we held up posters. Yes, if you don’t listen to us, we will have to hold up posters for you to read,” she said.
“The government wanted to carry on today… act as if everything was normal and there were no major security gaps. So we had to ask for an explanation. But apparently it is wrong to ask questions… So how is this a 'temple of democracy'?” “?” the DMK leader continued.
Smoke attack in Parliament: what happened?
On Wednesday afternoon, when the Lok Sabha was holding a zero hour session, a man jumped into the hall from the public gallery. He burst a yellow smoke canister and jumped from desk to desk in incredible scenes to reach the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair.
He was overpowered and captured by military police, several of whom subsequently beat him. A second man remained in the gallery; He also opened a bottle of smoke, presumably to divert attention.
Two other people – a man and a woman – opened smoke canisters in front of Parliament.
READ | Breach mastermind was last seen in Rajasthan setting a date and filming smoke scares
All four were arrested, as were two of their accomplices – Vicky Sharma and his wife. A sixth person, Lalit Jha, believed to be the mastermind of this incident, is on the run.
The four who burst the canisters were sent to police custody for seven days.