14 Suspended MPs To Return As The Parliamentary Session Of Budget Will Begin Today
The 14 MPs of Lok Sabha who were suspended during the last Parliament session will return to the Parliament today, on January 31, 2024. The MPs were suspended for protesting against the lack of response from the government over the unprecedented event of security breach in the Parliament on December 13. The return of the MPs are decided after the Privileges Committee of the two Houses recommended revocation of the suspension.
A total of 146 Opposition MPs, 100 from the Lok Sabha and 46 from the Rajya Sabha was suspended for disrupting the parliamentary proceedings and bringing placards into the chambers. While the suspension of 132 MPs was only till the remainder of the session which ended on December 21, the other 14 MPs, 11 from the Rajya Sabha and three from the Lok Sabha, were referred to their respective Privileges Committees.
The 14 MPs tendered an apology to the Privileges Committee, clarifying the context of their protest. They said that it was not their intend to insult the proceedings of the House, and to tender apology if their conduct had aggrieved the Chair.
The Parliamentary session will begin with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of the Lower and Upper Houses. During an all party meeting, the government asked the Opposition parties to cooperate and to ensure that no placards were on display.
The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitaraman will present the Interim Budget on February 1, ahead of the Lok Sabha election, which is believed to be held in April-May. The Budget session of Parliament, which is the last of 17th Lok Sabha, will begin Today, January 31, with President’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses. The Budget of Jammu and Kashmir, which is under President’s rule since 2018, will also be presented. The session will have eight sitting, and will conclude on February 9th.
Since the new Parliament building does not have a Central Hall, President Droupadi Murmu will address the two Houses in the LS chamber. Prime Minster Narendra Modi will respond to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address in the two Houses.
Pralhad Joshi, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said that the main focus on the session will be on the President’s address, debate on the motion of thanks, the presentation of the Interim Budget, and the Budget of the Jammu and Kashmir. During the customary session eve of the al party meeting, he said the government id not have any legislative agenda for the Budget session. “They (the Opposition) have given suggestions, but since this is the last session of the present LS, we have told them we will give them an opportunity in the next session,”, he said.
