Congress MPs Torn from Lok Sabha Amid Bitter Row Over Ex-Army Chief's Memoir

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Eight Congress MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after a heated two-day debate over a disputed memoir by former Army Chief MM Naravane. The suspended members include Manickam Tagore, Kiran Reddy, Prashant Padole, Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Gurjeet Aujla, S Venkat Raman, and Dean Kuriakose. The controversy centers around Naravane's unpublished memoir, which reportedly criticizes the government's handling of the 2020 India-China conflict. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had cited the memoir, sparking a showdown with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Gandhi refused to back down despite Birla's ruling that the topic was not relevant to the President's speech. On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi authenticated a copy of an article from Caravan magazine in the Lok Sabha, which mentioned Naravane's memoir. This led to further tensions and eventually, the suspension of the eight Congress MPs. Parliamentary rules dictate that lawmakers must follow proper procedures when citing documents or making accusations against colleagues. Speaker Birla emphasized these rules, stating that any random material cannot be cited in the House without proper clearance. The Speaker also reprimanded opposition leaders for addressing him informally, saying 'yaar'. The suspension of the Congress MPs has sparked outrage from the opposition, with party members staging a protest outside the Parliament building. The dispute highlights the ongoing tensions between the government and the opposition, with several contentious issues still unresolved.