The India Story | Mass suspensions of MPs, key bills passed in 'opposition-less' Parliament

146 Opposition MPs were suspended across days for both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha for 'unruly behaviour' and 'misconduct'. The government said they had broken rules by holding placards in the House and coming to the well. Opposition leaders have called it a 'murder of democracy' and accused the government of running an 'opposition-less' Parliament. Some key bills were cleared by both Houses amid the mayhem.

On The India Story this week, Vikram Chandra speaks to PDT Achary, a former Lok Sabha Secretary General to understand the rules behind suspension of MPs and what the incidents in Parliament this week mean for its future.

Amid all this political melee, came an unexpected proposal from Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal. They wanted Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to lead the INDIA bloc as its prime ministerial candidate. It immediately drew barbs from the BJP. Giriraj Singh said that the proposal was a conspiracy against Rahul Gandhi. It also initiated conversations about India getting its first-ever Dalit prime minister referring to Kharge’s caste.

Dalit activist Kancha Ilaiah decodes the caste considerations required to win 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The holiday is upon us and it is time to make merry but there are familiar concerns that are creeping back. There is talk about masking, restrictions and preventive measures after the detection of a new Covid-19 strain JN.1. Vikram Chandra speaks to Dr Randeep Guleria, former director of AIIMS Delhi about prevention, symptoms and vaccines.