Bofors Howitzer gun deal

fall of the Rajiv Gandhi government

attacks on dalits

For 'unbecoming conduct', 6 Congress MPs suspended from Lok Sabha for 5 days

NEW DELHI: Six Congress members of Parliament (MPs) were on Monday suspended from the Lok Sabha for five days for their "highly unbecoming conduct" after they flung papers at the chair and disrupted proceedings in the House while discussing the Bofors case and the recent spate of mob lynching and cow vigilantism.Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan suspended the six Congress MPs, G Gogoi, K.Suresh, Adhiranjan Chowdhary, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and MK Raghavan . She said they undermined the chair's dignity.The opposition MPs disrupted the Lok Sabha for close to an hour during zero hour. Opposition members trooped into the well of the House shouting and agitating and flinging pieces of paper toward the treasury benches and the House chair. This then prompted those in the treasury benches to shout "shame, shame". It was complete chaos.The suspended MPs also raised objections to a Parliamentary sub commmitte on defence asking for a relook at the, reported ANI.The sub committee is looking into the alleged non-compliance of some aspects of the comptroller and auditor general report of 1986 on the Bofors deal. A majority of the members of the sub-committee have asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to move the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's 2005 order quashing proceedings in the Bofors case.The Bofors scandal relates to the alleged payment of kickbacks in procurement of Howitzer artillery guns. The case triggered a massive political storm and led to thein 1989.In addition to protesting the Center's actions in the Bofors case, opposition members also raised the issue of mob lynching.Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asked the Speaker why his adjournment motion on mob lynching and cow vigilantism was rejected. He said the incidents of lynching and the, minorities and women clearly showed the failure of the government in protecting the marginalized sections of society.Union minister and BJP leader Ananth Kumar retorted saying the country worships cows and added that cows must be protected. He said any crime happening in the name of cows would not be tolerated.This led to another fusillade of protests, following which Mahajan adjourned the Lok Sabha, first until 2:30 pm and then for the day."Backward class and minorities are currently scared of lynching that is happening in the country. We are fighting for the people even Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that the government is not with the fake Gaurakshak (cow protecter). Whichever state BJP rules lynching is occurring there. BJP has always been corrupt in ways and practice. And when we stand up for the justice we are suspended", said Ranjan, one of the suspended MPs, to ANI.There were unruly scenes in the Rajya Sabha too on Monday. Opposition MPs from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal demanded answers on the National Eligibility-cum-entrance Test and like in the Lok Sabha, they too took their protest into the well of the House.