Lashing out at the government for evading accountability for serious issues the country is facing, she said the blanket suspension “has been issued to ensure smooth passing of Orwellian Bills in the list of business for today and tomorrow.”

“First is the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill 2023, it impeaches on the freedom of press, speech and expression. The second is the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners Bill 2023, which tramples on the independence of the Election Commission and puts it under control of the Centre. The third is the Telecommunication Bill 2023, which grants the Centre the discretion to suspend telecom services and tap phones in the interest of ‘public safety’. The fourth is the Criminal Law Amendments, which promotes over-criminalisation and dilution of safeguards to establish police control over the citizenry,” she said.

Calling it an attack on the Constitution, Sule said, ”We shall stand strong against the assault on the nation’s constitutional fabric by BJP government.”

On the other hand, Shirur MP Amol Kolhe said, ”I had only heard of the Emergency, but today I have experienced what Emergency is all about. I was suspended because I held up a poster of a ban on onion exports. I and my leader Supriya Sule demanded that the export ban on onions be lifted and called for a discussion on it. If the government does not want to listen to demands, then where do onion farmers seek justice? The last time too, this government pushed onion farmers to the edge by slapping export cess on onion. And even now they have banned exports, resulting in a drastic fall in onion prices. We wanted to raise farmers’ grievances seeking lifting of the ban on onion export, but we were not allowed to even place our demand or seek discussion. We were suspended straightaway.”