The quick suspension of 143 opposition Members of Parliament for the last four days of the Winter session of Parliament — including 45 from the Rajya Sabha, the upper House of Elders — doesn’t bode well for Indian democracy. During the four days when the opposition benches were depleted to a mere 38 MPs, the government legislated several important Bills including a revised Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Evidence Act, 1872, given jaw-breaking titles in Hindi. When opposition benches are depleted, poorly drafted Bills are enacted into ill-framed laws which in turn adds to the humongous mountain of pending litigation.

Although opposition MPs have been suspended for unruly conduct — storming the well of the House and the Speaker’s podium — such contentious behaviour is alas, quite common and was often practiced when the ruling BJP was in opposition. Therefore, the action of the Speakers of both houses to suspend almost 20 percent of MPs when their concerted demand was that Union home minister Amit Shah make a statement in either house on the security breach on December 13 when four youth smuggled themselves into the Lok Sabha, created a ruckus and hurled smoke canisters while the house was in session, is harsh by any standards. The smoke canisters hurled about the house could have contained lethal gas or have been grenades. In the circumstances, asking the home — or prime — minister to explain how this security breach had occurred and what steps are being taken by government to plug the loopholes was not an unreasonable request.

The adamantine refusal of the highest ministers of the government to be answerable to Parliament is an indicator of the minimal regard that the BJP government has for the country’s highest laws-making body. All MPs have worked hard to win the mandate of the people of large constituencies across the country. Whether in government or in opposition, their viewpoint has to be given due consideration by government. Care needs to be taken that pride and prejudice does not transform into contempt of Parliament.