It's dictatorship: AAP MP on suspension of 19 Opposition members in RS

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday termed as ''dictatorship'' the suspension of 19 opposition members in Rajya Sabha and asserted that his party will continue to raise the voice of people in Parliament.

He alleged that the opposition members have been demanding a discussion on the Goods and Services Tax and price rise but they are not being heard.

A record 19 MPs from opposition parties were suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the week after they continued to disrupt proceedings to press for an immediate discussion on price rise and levy of GST on essential items.

''And when they protest, they are suspended...It's dictatorship.'' the AAP MP told a press conference at the party headquarters.

He accused the Narendra Modi government of suppressing the voice of the opposition.

''We give notice under 267, you don't take any action...When we speak outside, you file a case. You don't let us speak in the House and when we raise our voice, you suspend (us),'' he said, asking, ''Where do we raise our voice.'' Of the 19 MPs suspended from Rajya Sabha, seven belong to the Trinamool Congress, six are from the DMK, three from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), two from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and one from the Communist Party of India (CPI).

The AAP's Rajya Sabha MP said his party members will not give up and continue to raise the voice of the people in Parliament.

''I want to tell the Modi government that our protest will continue tomorrow also. We are not going to give up. We have been sent to Parliament to raise the issues affecting the masses,'' he said.

Singh said his party will raise the issue of price rise, GST, death of 28 people due to consumption of spurious liquor in Gujarat and ''exploitation of youth'' under Agnipath defence recruitment scheme in Rajya Sabha. The AAP has ten members in Upper House.

''If you want to suspend or remove us out from House, its your wish,'' he said, adding, ''This battle for people will continue.'' During the opposition protest in Rajya Sabha, Singh had torn a paper and hurled its pieces towards the Chair.

''Yes I tore the paper and threw. I didn't do this for any personal reason. Twenty-eight people have died in Gujarat due to consumption of spurious liquor. I wanted to raise this issue. I made repeated request for this but the Chair did not listen,'' he said.

When asked for his view on the Enforcement Directorate questioning Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the AAP MP evaded a direct reply.

''I would only say that there should not be double standards for anything,'' he said, adding ''When the ED and CBI take action against the Aam Aadmi Party (leaders), people from the Congress celebrate outside our party office and hold protest.'' So far as the CBI and ED is concerned, the Centre is using these agencies as tools to suppress the opposition, he said.

''The AAP is the victim. They kept our Health Minister (Satyendar Jain) in jail and are going to start a CBI probe against our deputy chief minister (Manish Sisodia),'' hr said.