The Lok Sabha on Monday suspended four Congress MPs for the rest of the monsoon session for waving placards and disrupting proceedings despite the Speaker’s warning, prompting the party to accuse the government of turning the House into a platform to only “cheer for Modiji”.

The wider Opposition has been protesting inside both Houses of Parliament from the first day of the current session that began on July 18 and is to end on August 12, demanding a rollback of GST on everyday items the LPG price hike, besides an immediate discussion on price rise in general.

The government, despite claiming it was ready for a discussion, continued to buy time, saying it would be held after finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman recovered from Covid and returned to Parliament.

The four Congress MPs — Manickam Tagore, T.N. Prathapan, Jothimani and Ramya Haridas — were suspended after the Lok Sabha passed a resolution moved by parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi. The resolution was passed by voice vote amid commotion. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after the suspensions.

The government tabled the resolution after BJP parliamentarian Rajendra Agrawal, who was chairing the proceedings post 3pm, named the four MPs for continuously waving placards to disrupt proceedings despite a warning from Speaker Om Birla earlier in the day.

Members of other Opposition parties were also protesting in the Well of the House but only the four Congress MPs were named as they were standing close to the Speaker’s Chair and waving placards and raising slogans. The Congress has 53 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

The suspension of only Congress MPs although the wider Opposition has been protesting is an indication that the government is seeking to isolate the party, sources said.

Earlier in the day, Birla had warned the protesting MPs of disciplinary action.

“The people of the country want the House to run and so it’s my last appeal to you...,” the Speaker told the MPs. “After 3pm, any honourable MP who waves placards in front of the Chair will get adequate time and opportunity to do so, outside the House,” he added, adjourning the House till that time.

Lok Sabha proceedings had started at 2pm on Monday due to the oath-taking ceremony of President Droupadi Murmu in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, the Congress’s deputy leader in the House, Gaurav Gogoi, accused the government of “trying to intimidate” the Opposition. He asserted that the protests over people’s issues would continue.

“What was their (the MPs) fault? They were trying to raise the issues which matter to the people,” Gogoi said.

One of the suspended MPs, Tagore, accused the government of using the Lok Sabha only to “cheer for Modiji” and not allow a discussion on price rise.

He said that for the past six days, they had been moving adjournment motions to discuss the increase in the prices of LPG and other essential items but had to face only rejection.

“We were waving placards and placing them in the camera angles to register our protest. They say placards are not allowed in the House,” Tagore said. “What is allowed is only cheering for Modiji.”