Lok Sabha draws ‘Lakshman Rekha’, revokes suspension of eight MPs

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday revoked the suspension of eight Opposition MPs, who had been barred from the lower house for their alleged “unruly” behaviour, through a voice vote, restoring calm after days of disruptions and volley of allegations during the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla last week.

The move followed a meeting in the Speaker’s chamber on Monday and a consensus among floor leaders to uphold parliamentary decorum by observing a “Lakshman Rekha” during proceedings — a commitment from both Treasury and Opposition benches to maintain dignity and avoid disruptions — though not before a brief war of words in the House.

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Congress chief whip K Suresh urged Speaker Birla to lift the suspension, citing the meeting where it was decided that the suspension should be revoked. Expressing regret for the “inadvertent indiscretion” by some of the members, he added that the Opposition had withdrawn protests and removed placards.

Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav supported the move but stressed that responsibility for maintaining order lies with both sides. He accused the ruling party of “dictating terms” and called for equal accountability, prompting brief exchanges. “We will never cross the dignity of the House. But the ruling party should also resolve to do this. Without it, the House won’t function. Nishikant Dubey should improve his behaviour,” he said.

Birla intervened, appealing to members not to debate the issue. Dubey, meanwhile, responded saying that he had never crossed the line in the House. “They should apologise, and if they don’t, this House won’t run,” he said while NCP MP Supriya Sule urged members on both sides to refrain from personal remarks. “The decision yesterday was ‘Lakshman Rekha’ should not be crossed. We will try…but the Treasury Bench is not ready,” she said, pointing to ministers who had got up to counter her.

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh agreed, saying, “You can’t clap with one hand.” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, too, emphasised the need for a “Lakshman Rekha” for the smooth functioning of the House, a sentiment shared across party lines. “We have followed rules in the past and will continue to do so,” he said, adding that the government remained open to discussion. Birla, meanwhile, reiterated that all parties had agreed to uphold parliamentary dignity and cautioned against displaying placards, posters, or AI-generated images inside the House or Parliament complex.

The suspensions had been imposed following chaos over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to raise the 2020 eastern Ladakh border tensions with China. MPs were accused of violating rules, including throwing papers toward the Chair. The floor leaders’ meeting chaired by Birla on Monday led to the breakthrough, with members agreeing that no one would enter the Well of the House, approach opposite benches, tear papers, or climb on officials’ tables. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to parliamentary norms.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a bulletin reiterating rules on decorum, highlighting provisions banning placards, banners, sticks, and derogatory or AI-generated images, and warning that violations would invite disciplinary action. The suspended members included seven Congress MPs—Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, K. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Dean Kuriakose, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and Prashant Padole—along with S.V. Venkatesan of the CPI(M).