Congress’s Adhir Ranjan suspended from LS for comments against PM

New Delhi: The leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, was suspended from the House on Thursday for making objectionable comments about the Prime Minister in his speech during the no-confidence motion discussion. His suspension will be in place till the report of the privileges committee comes.

The Lower House through voice vote passed the resolution to suspend Chowdhury, after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi informed the House that the Congress leader has often made baseless allegations and remarks against the leaders from the ruling party, be it Prime Minister Narendra Modi or other Cabinet ministers.

During his speech, Chowdhury compared the Prime Minister to Nirav Modi as well as the mythical blind king Dhritarashtra, while alluding to sexual violence against women in Manipur.

His remarks led to a furor among the treasury benches and infuriated BJP MP Virendra Singh, who even tried to charge toward Chowdhury, but was stopped by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, Joshi, and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. Modi was present in the House when the Congress leader made these comments.

Veerendra Singh later apologised for his behaviour to Speaker Om Birla, saying that he was angered by the comments made against his leader (Prime Minister).

Joshi, while seeking Chowdhury’s suspension, said that he “deliberately” disturbs whenever senior leaders from the ruling party speak.

Chowdhury, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, always makes baseless charges and never apologises, so a resolution should be moved for his suspension. His case was then referred to the Parliamentary privileges committee