Eight MP's protest outside Parliament: Kiran Kumar Reddy 'cannot suspend questions of people'

New Delhi: Telangana MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy is one of the eight MPs suspended as the Centre and the Opposition clashed during an ongoing protest outside the Parliament’s Makar Dwar.

The Budget Session of the Parliament is underway, but the Opposition is protesting against the Centre’s foreign policy in the Israel-USA-Iran war and the national LPG crisis in the country.

Who are the suspended MPs?

The eight suspended MPs are Kiran Kumar Reddy, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, Prashant Padole, Dean Kuriakose and S Venkatesan.

The eight Members of Parliament were suspended from the Lok Sabha for ‘unruly behaviour,’ sparking a fierce protest at the entrance of the legislative building.

According to Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, the action was a ‘premeditated move’ to silence the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. The standoff began when Gandhi attempted to present what he claimed was an authenticated memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane, which reportedly contained sensitive details regarding India’s border tensions with China.

The breaking point

The House descended into chaos when the Chair, citing Parliamentary rules, refused to allow the citation of the memoir, leading opposition members to troop into the Well of the House.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved the resolution for suspension after members were accused of tearing papers and throwing them toward the Chair—a charge the MPs vehemently deny, calling it a desperate attempt to block discussion on ‘uncomfortable truths.’

‘Centre surrendering to international pressure’

Kiran Kumar Reddy, the MP from Bhongir, was protesting along with other members outside Parliament.

Reddy accused the government of ‘surrendering’ to international pressures and failing to protect the sanctity of the LoP’s office. “They can suspend us from the House, but they cannot suspend the questions of the people,” Reddy stated.

Escalating tensions

As the suspended MPs sit on the steps of the Makar Dwar, senior Congress leaders, including Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi, have joined them in solidarity.

Venugopal argued that the suspension of eight members—primarily from the Congress—is part of a broader pattern to delegitimise the opposition’s role. He pointed out that while the government pushes through major legislation, the voices representing millions of voters are being physically removed from the chamber.

The government maintains that the suspension was necessary to uphold the decorum of the House. However, with nearly two dozen opposition parties now rallying behind the suspended members, the Budget Session remains on the brink of a total washout.