Updated on Dec 21, at 4.28 p.m.

The Lok Sabha today suspended three more opposition MPs for the remainder of the Winter Session, taking the total number of MPs suspended from both houses to 146.

MPs including DK Suresh, Nakul Nath, and Deepak Baij, all hailing the Congress, were suspended from the Lok Sabha for repeatedly disrupting the proceedings of the House, bringing placards into the House, continuously raising slogans, tearing papers, and throwing them on the staff.

Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi proposed to suspend these three MPs in the House, and Rama Devi, who was in the chair, then announced their suspension.

Updated on Dec 20, at 5.19 p.m.

The dawn of democracy seemed to be fading in the national capital after a total of 143 opposition leaders, who had been demanding a debate on a Dec 13 parliament security breach, were suspended from the legislature for allegedly disrupting House proceedings.

India never saw a mass suspension of this sort in its history, where the India bloc lost two-thirds of its strength in the House.

Before the conclusion of the current winter session of Parliament on Dec 22, a total of 143 MPs had been suspended.

Let’s do the math

A 522-MP-seat Lok Sabha saw suspensions of 97 lawmakers by Dec 20, and only around 100 opposition MPs are left in the Lower House.

Out of the 138 MPs of the INDIA bloc parties, only 43 MPs are left in the House.

Now, only nine MPs of the Congress, including former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are left in the House.

Earlier on Dec 14, as many as 13 MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha; 33 MPs were suspended on Dec 18, followed by Dec 19's suspension of 49 MPs.

In Lok Sabha, out of the current 522 members, 290 are from  BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). This means that as of now, BJP and its allies have more than 300 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

In the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House, out of 238 MPs, less than 100 opposition MPs are left to question the ruling party. Only 49 members of the INDIA bloc are left in the Upper House.

Two more MPs suspended 

After today’s latest Lok Sabha suspension of two more MPs, C Thomas and AM Arif, out of a 228-seat opposition of both Houses, 143 stands were suspended.

The move drew reactions from the opposition, which dubbed suspensions “Namocracy”, hitting out at the ruling government.

The Congress hit at the government, saying a complete purge is being executed so that draconian bills are passed without any meaningful debate, and the new Parliament reflects “Namocracy in all its tyranny”.

Meanwhile, the now-suspended Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “For the first time in my parliamentary career of nearly 15 years, I too entered the well of the House holding a placard calling for a discussion on the recent security breach.”

“I did so out of solidarity with my Congress colleagues, who have been unjustly suspended for demanding accountability from the government. I expect suspension to follow. It is a badge of honour to be defenestrated by an unfair process,” Tharoor said.

Why were 143 MPs suspended?

Since the security breach occurred in Parliament on Dec 13, the opposition MPs have been demanding a detailed statement in both Houses on the breach from home minister Amit Shah. Some allegedly protested over the matter in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, showing placards and raising slogans.

(With inputs from IANS) 

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