Against "undemocratic" suspension of 141 MPs, I.N.D.I.A. plans nationwide protests on 22 December

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc has announced a nationwide protest scheduled for 22 December against the recent suspension of at least 141 opposition MPs from Parliament, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said today, 19 December.

Following the fourth meeting of the INDIA bloc, which includes 28 parties, the Congress president came down heavily on prime minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.

He termed the suspension of 141 MPs as "undemocratic".

Saying that the issue raised by the opposition was legitimate, Kharge called on the home minister and the prime minister to address members in both Houses of Parliament, adding: "There will be protests across the country on December 22 against the suspension of opposition MPs from the House. We will fight and stand firm".

Kharge expressed his dissatisfaction over Modi's reluctance to engage in parliamentary dialogue. He said, "They can speak outside but not in Parliament."

Kharge also said that that seat sharing across parties of the INDIA bloc would be initially discussed at the state level, and if disagreements persisted, central leaders would intervene to facilitate resolution.

Highlighting the unity among the parties in the alliance, Kharge stated that everyone was in agreement regarding the joint programmes being planned. The alliance plans to conduct 8–10 more meetings to further solidify its strategy, he said.

The meeting comes a day after the INDIA bloc lost almost half its strength in the Rajya Sabha and one-third of its Lok Sabha strength on Monday, 18 December, already.

Today, another 49 opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha, bringing the total number of those suspended to 141 across both houses.