Parliament: Lok Sabha back to business after suspension of four Congress MPs revoked, debate on price rise begins

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday revoked the suspension of four Congress MPs, after party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said it was not the intention of the opposition to hurt the chair.

The proposal was moved by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. Before withdrawing the suspension, Birla took assurance from the Opposition members that they won’t bring placards into the House. The House then took up the discussion over price rise.

The four Congress MPs - Manickam Tagore, Ramya Haridas, T N Prathapan and S Jothimani - were suspended last Monday for the rest of the session for protesting and carrying placards inside the House. 

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha passed the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery System (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 which was earlier approved by the Lok Sabha in April. This came in the backdrop of sloganeering by Opposition members over price rise, “misuse” of ED, the Agnipath scheme and other issues.

The government agreed to discuss the issue of price rise in Lok Sabha on Monday and in the Upper House on Tuesday. 

According to sources quoted by news agency PTI, the opposition is likely to demand a discussion on the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme in Parliament next week after the debate on price rise in taken up in both Houses. 

Opposition leaders said while there is a consensus among them about the need for a discussion on Agnipath, which had sparked widespread violence across the country, they have varied stands on the subject.

With barely 10 working days remaining before the Monsoon Session gets over on August 12, it is unlikely the parties would be abe to extract a debate on the new armed forces recruitment scheme in either House.

Sources said the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party and the Congress have already filed notices demanding a discussion on Agnipath in both Houses. Three three notices are likely to be filed on Monday.

Opposition leaders have indicated the government has conveyed to them informally they have no plans of accommodating their request on Agnipath as the matter is sub-judice.