CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday strongly condemned the suspension of eight opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha, questioning why the BJP-led Union government was "fearing" the queries raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on matters of national security.
In a sharp attack on the Union government, the DMK president demanded the immediate revocation of the suspension, asserting that the democratic right of members to speak on issues of national importance must be restored.
"Why is the Union BJP Government fearing the questions raised by the Hon'ble Leader of Opposition & my brother, Thiru. @RahulGandhi," Stalin said in a post on social media platform 'X'.
Maintaining that the government is accountable to the House, the Chief Minister said, "The government must be prepared to answer the members of the House and provide clarity on matters of national security and economic interests."
"I strongly condemn the suspension of eight opposition MPs and demand that it be revoked immediately so that their democratic right to speak on issues of national importance is restored."
The Chief Minister’s remarks follow a major escalation in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, where eight opposition members -- seven from the Congress and one from the CPI(M) -- were suspended for the remainder of the Budget session for "unruly behaviour."
The suspension occurred amid a heated standoff over Gandhi's attempt to quote from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief Gen M M Naravane. The LoP sought to raise questions regarding the 2020 India-China border conflict and national security, but was disallowed by the Chair, leading to a massive uproar in the House.