Pawar and Patole slam govt over MPs’ suspension

Mumbai/Nagpur: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday demanded a probe into the Parliament security breach and suspension of many members of the two the Houses of Parliament, while MPCC president Nana Patole alleged that the suspensions showed the BJP was trying to suppress democracy in the country.“It is an irony that many members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, who were seeking statement from the government on the security lapse, have been suspended. I am given to understand that some members who did not enter the well and give slogans and were not involved in the continuous disruption have been named in the list of suspended members. Realizing the seriousness and gravity of the issue of attack and then the suspension that followed, I would request you to kindly address this matter in the interest of upholding the integrity of the parliamentary processes,” Pawar said in a letter to vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar. Patole asked what the fault of the MPs was if they simply wanted to know who was responsible for the security lapse in Parliament.Pawar pointed out that the incident of December 13 was deeply troubling, especially in the light of the terrorist attack that happened on that very day in 2001. “The fact that intruders were able to access the premises using passes issued by an MP and subsequently breach security measures by jumping into the House from the public gallery with gas canisters is a matter of grave concern,” he said. Pawar said given the severity of the incident, it was but natural that MPs would seek clarification.