At least 78 Opposition MPs have been suspended from both houses of parliament after they staged a protest inside the chamber, demanding a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the massive breach in Parliament security last week.

Hours after 33 members were suspended from Lok Sabha for “misconduct” for the remainder of winter session, 45 members from opposition, including Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Surjewala and KC Venugopal, were suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remaining period of the session which concludes on December 22.

While 34 members were suspended for the remaining part of the session, the “misconduct” of 11 others was also referred to the Privileges Committee, which has been asked to give its report in three months. They have been suspended until the report is submitted by the panel.

News agency ANI has shared the complete list of the names of suspended MPs. 

Winter Session | A total of 33 Opposition MPs, including Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, suspended from the Parliament today for the remainder of the Session. pic.twitter.com/zbUpeMaHmU

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2023

Speaking to the media, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is among those suspended, said the government was behaving in a dictatorial manner and treating Parliament as BJP headquarters.

The matter of suspension of the following 11 Rajya Sabha MPs referred to the Privilege Committee. pic.twitter.com/M3NHnPKJ3R

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2023

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in post on ‘X’ earlier in the day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken on the issue outside the Parliament when the winter session is underway.

“The Prime Minister speaks to a leading newspaper on the very serious December 13th security breach in the Lok Sabha. The Home Minister speaks to a TV channel on the security breach. Parliament is in session. INDIA parties are demanding a statement from the Home Minister in both Houses on the shocking incidents. It is a simple, straightforward and legitimate demand. But Home Minister refuses to make a statement which is his duty and responsibility. This is why Parliament is getting adjourned repeatedly,” Jairam Ramesh said.

Fourteen MPs had been suspended last week, also for demanding a statement on the security breach. So, this takes the total number of MPs suspended in this session to 92.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in the liquor policy case. Mr Kejriwal has been called in on Thursday. This is the second time the central agency has summoned the Aam Aadmi Party boss; the first was on November 2. Mr Kejriwal had skipped that summons, opting instead to campaign for his party in Madhya Pradesh.

The AAP leader then wrote to the ED to say he could not attend as he was busy campaigning for the election in Madhya Pradesh. Amid speculation he could be arrested on that day, Mr Kejriwal had also called the summons “illegal” and “politically motivated”, and demanded it be withdrawn.

READ | Arvind Kejriwal Skips Summons, Tells Probe Agency To “Take Back Notice”

“The summons does not specify whether I am being summoned as an individual, or in my capacity as Chief Minister of Delhi, or as the National Convener of AAP,” he wrote to the central agency.

Mr Kejriwal and his party slammed what they called “a fishing and roving inquiry”.

An individual can skip a summons thrice, after which the agency can secure a non-bailable warrant.

NDTV Explains | Probe Agency’s Options After Arvind Kejriwal Skips Summons

In April, the CBI questioned Mr Kejriwal – as a witness – for nine hours, after which he slammed the agency. “The CBI asked me 56 questions (but) everything is fake. I am convinced they don’t have anything on us… not a single piece of evidence,” he said after being quizzed at its Lodhi Road office.

READ | “CBI Asked 56 Questions…”: Arvind Kejriwal After 9-Hour Questioning

The fresh summons to Mr Kejriwal will also renew talk of his party being made an accused in this case, which would be an unprecedented first in Indian politics. The Supreme Court in October posed this question to the Enforcement Directorate – “why isn’t the political party still not made an accused?”

Sources had then told NDTV there is a money trail leading to the AAP and its election campaigns.

READ | “Want To Clarify…”: Supreme Court On “Making AAP An Accused” Question

The Delhi liquor case refers to allegations that the AAP government’s revamped alcohol sales policy of 2022 for the national capital allowed it to receive crores of rupees in kickbacks from cartels, and that this money was channelled into funding the party’s election expenses in Goa and other states.

Specifically, both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation have alleged the policy allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers, who paid bribes for liquor sale licenses.

NDTV Explains | What Is Delhi Liquor Policy Case Linked To Arvind Kejriwal’s Party

The AAP has strongly refuted all charges. The Delhi government reported a 27 per cent increase in income from the policy and generated Rs 8,900 crore in revenue.

The policy was scrapped in July last year and the old policy was brought back.

Mr Kejriwal’s former deputy, Manish Sisodia, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh have both been arrested in connection with this case. Mr Sisodia was arrested in February and Mr Singh in October.

Last month Mr Singh made a sensational claim, declaring, “A big conspiracy is being devised to frame Arvind Kejriwal.” He did not identify the conspirators but it was seen as a warning against the ruling BJP, which the opposition claims uses central agencies to target and harass rivals before elections.

NDTV Explains | Why Was AAP’s Sanjay Singh Raided, Arrested In Liquor Policy Case

The 2024 Lok Sabha election is around three months away, as are polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and, potentially, Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi who were at the forefront of the agitation for the Ram temple in Ayodhya are unlikely to attend next month’s consecration ceremony due to their health and age, the temple trust said in Ayodhya on Monday.

“Both are elders of the family and considering their age, they were requested not to come, which was accepted by both,” Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai told reporters.

Mr Rai said preparations are in full swing for the consecration ceremony on January 22, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The preparations would be completed by January 15 and the puja for ‘praan pratistha’ will start from January 16 and will continue till 22nd January, he added.

Giving a detailed list of the invitees, Mr Rai said Mr Advani and Mr Joshi might not attend the consecration ceremony due to health and age-related reasons.

Mr Advani is now 96 and Mr Joshi will turn 90 next month.

A three-member team has been formed to visit former prime minister Deve Gowda and invite him to the ceremony, Rai said.

“Shankaracharyas of six darshanas (ancient schools) and around 150 saints and sages and will participate in the ceremony,” Mr Rai said.

He added that about 4,000 saints and 2,200 other guests have been invited for the ceremony.

Heads of major temples like Kashi Vishwanath, Vaishno Devi, and representatives of religious and constitutional institutions have also been invited, he said.

Spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Mata Amritanandamayi of Kerala, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, cine stars Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Arun Govil, film director Madhur Bhandarkar and prominent industrialists such as Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, famous painter Vasudev Kamat, ISRO Director Nilesh Desai and many other eminent personalities have been invited to the function, Rai said.

After the consecration ceremony, ‘mandal puja’ will be held from January 24 for 48 days as per ritual traditions. The temple will be opened for devotees on January 23, he added.

Mr Rai said that proper arrangements have been made for the guests to stay at more than three places in Ayodhya. Apart from this, 600 rooms have been made available by various monasteries, temples and household families.

Meanwhile, authorities of the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation said they have begun preparing for the consecration ceremony.

Speaking to PTI, Municipal Commissioner Vishal Singh said that fibre toilets will be installed for devotees and changing rooms will be set up for women at designated places.

The ‘Ram Katha Kunj’ corridor will be built in the Ram Janmabhoomi complex which would showcase tableaux displaying 108 events from Lord Ram’s life, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)