Political turmoil is escalating as India approaches the May elections. Following significant victories in the latest state-level elections, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling BJP party are embroiled in controversy after protesters breached security at Parliament.
As a result of intense protests by the opposition, more than 140 Indian politicians have been suspended from parliament, marking the largest number of suspensions in history, according to The Guardian.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been accused of a direct attack on democracy, sparking ‘anarchy’ after suspending 141 MPs from 11 different opposition parties for the rest of the winter session. This is the highest number of MPs suspended in a single session in Indian parliamentary history. On Monday alone, 78 MPs were suspended, the most in a single day.
The majority of parliamentarians have been suspended only until the end of the winter session, while the parliamentary privileges committee will decide the gravest cases.
An incident involving six intruders breaking into the parliament’s lower house and releasing canisters of non-toxic gas during a session with MPs present provoked the recent protests. The intruders, who were arrested, expressed anger at the government’s economic policies and lack of job opportunities.
Opposition politicians were suspended due to ‘serious misconduct’ as they took part in disruptive protests, including chanting and brandishing placards in parliament, some of which bore the face of Modi. The house speaker specified that such placards were not permitted on parliament premises.
The majority of those suspended are members of the new opposition coalition INDIA – Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance – who have joined forces to collectively challenge the BJP in the upcoming election scheduled around May.
It is evident that political tension is at an all-time high in India, as the ruling party and the opposition clash in the lead-up to the upcoming elections. The outcome of this political turmoil remains to be seen as the country awaits the May elections.
