Gandhinagar: In response to opposition Congress party’s argument that MLAs can attract suspension only for one session and not beyond that, ruling BJP government has through ministers Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Pradipsinh Jadeja today issued a statement, highlights of which are given here:

– The house has suspended one MLA for one year and two MLAs for three years. The step has been taken by the house as it has right to do so.

– First Lok Sabha member SG Mrudgal was dismissed by Lok Sabha as its member in 1952.

– In year 2010, two MLAs were suspended from Rajasthan assembly. Then Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had later states, ‘I don’t want to repeat what happened on 17-18-19 March 2010 in the house. Proper functioning of house is responsibility of both ruling party and the opposition.’

– In Madhya Pradesh, two MLAs were dismissed from the membership of the house for their behaviour which was stricter action than 3-year suspension.

– In 1964 and 2009, MLA were suspended for four-year period from the house.

– In 2015, Andhra Pradesh assembly had suspended a member for one year period.

– On 14th March 2018, Congress MLA Pratap Dudhat, Amrish Der and Baldevji Thakor tried to disrupt the house and involved into violence on the floor of the house and inside the corridor. Their suspension was proposed in reaction. There was nothing wrong in it.

– Congress has not even proposed to apologise for such behaviour of its MLAs.

– Looking at the behaviour of those three MLAs, the highest penalty could be disqualification, however, after deep thought, just their suspension was proposed.

– As per part-2 page 782 of Parliamentary practices the house is entitled to penalise its members for their behaviour. The house has right to form rules of its procedures. The house is not responsible to any outside authority in following the rules it has made for its procedures.

DeshGujarat