The 50-hour relay protest by suspended members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha continued for the second consecutive day in the Parliament House complex, with members staging a sit-in near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue.
The 23 Rajya Sabha members and four from the Lok Sabha, who were suspended for shouting slogans and carrying placards in the House, will spend the second consecutive night in the open at the complex, braving the heat and swarm of mosquitoes. The members have been suspended till July 29.
This is the first time such a large number of members have been suspended in the Rajya Sabha.
CPI-M member V. Sivadasan, who was suspended on July 26, told The Hindu that sleeping in the open is not an issue but the government running away from discussion on price rise and GST is.
“The organisational work experience braces us for such days. These are minor issues. The BJP government is trivialising the matter and running away from debate by raising the issues of members eating chicken and mutton,” Mr. Sivadasan said.
Shehzad Poonawalla, a BJP spokesperson, had alleged that some members consumed “tandoori chicken” near Gandhi statue.
Mr. Sivadasan said that the food is being sent by other members and two ambulances had also been kept on standby by the Parliament staff.
He said none of the members from the ruling party had approached the members yet for a dialogue.
