Congress protests in UP against suspension of MPs

Lucknow, Aug 4: Congress workers on Tuesday, Aug 4 staged a demonstration in front of BJP state office here against suspension of 25 party MPs from Lok Sabha.

The party workers, who were led by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Nirmal Khatri and MLA Rita Joshi, demanded that the suspension of the MPs by the Lok Sabha Speaker be revoked, while calling it as a "black day" in democracy.

Khatri alleged that it was at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Congress MPs were suspended. Congress strongly opposes this "undemocratic" step, party spokesman Virendra Madan said.

Party workers took out a protest march holding placards from GPO park to BJP state office where they staged a demonstration shouting slogans against the Prime Minister and the NDA government. The protest witnessed minor skirmish between police and Congress workers.

BJP alleged that Congress was only "venting out its frustration"

Meanwhile, BJP alleged that Congress was only "venting out its frustration" through such dramatics. "It's only a drama and frustration of Congress," BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak alleged. He said that the Speaker's decision should be respected by legislators of all the parties.

"The Congress is avoiding discussion on major issues. When it was in power it avoided discussion on major issues and now when it's in opposition it is adopting the same tactic," Pathak claimed.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had yesterday suspended 25 Congress MPs over disruption of parliamentary proceedings under ruling 374 (A), leading to outrage from various quarters.

PTI