Congress Recalls 2023 Parliament Security Breach, Questions Home Minister’s Silence
Jairam Ramesh warns against a repeat of the mass suspension of opposition MPs as Parliament enters the final week of the Monsoon Session.
The Congress has recalled the mass suspension of 146 opposition MPs during Parliament’s Winter Session in 2023 and urged the government to ensure that a similar situation does not arise during the final week of the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that history should not repeat itself. In a post on X on Sunday, he referred to the Parliament security breach of December 13, 2023, when two individuals entered the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors’ gallery while raising slogans and releasing yellow smoke from canisters.
On the same day, two other individuals released coloured smoke outside the Parliament building. Ramesh described the incident as a serious breach of parliamentary security and said the opposition had repeatedly demanded a statement from the Union Home Minister on the matter.
According to Ramesh, the Home Minister did not make a statement in Parliament on the security breach. He also alleged that the government maintained a similar silence when Delhi Police took action against protesting youths last month.
Ramesh said the government should remain accountable to Parliament on such matters and answer questions raised by the opposition.
The Congress leader also recalled that between December 14 and 21, 2023, a total of 146 opposition MPs were suspended, including 100 from the Lok Sabha and 46 from the Rajya Sabha. He described it as a record number of opposition MPs suspended during a parliamentary session.
He said the large scale suspensions significantly reduced opposition participation in the remaining proceedings, during which several major pieces of legislation were passed.
Among them were three new criminal laws: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. These laws replaced the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act respectively.
Ramesh also referred to legislation concerning the appointment, service conditions and tenure of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners that was passed during the same period.
His comments came ahead of the final week of the Monsoon Session, during which several important legislative matters are expected to be taken up, including the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Congress issued a whip to its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs on Friday, directing them to remain present in Parliament on August 10, 11 and 12. The party described these days as particularly important.
According to sources, the Congress has also asked its INDIA bloc allies to ensure the presence of their MPs in Parliament during these three days.