Opposition parties on Thursday suspended for a day their dharna at Mahatma Gandhi statue inside Parliament complex against the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs in view of the death of Chief of Defence staff Gen Bipin Rawat and 12 others in a chopper crash.
Leaders of the parties, however, condemned the Government for not allowing them to pay tribute to the top-most defence officer in the country inside Parliament after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed both the Houses about the Wednesday incident.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said they wanted to convey their condolences over the incident but were not allowed to do so, for which they condemned the government's attitude. "We decided to suspend our protest in front of the Gandhi statue for a day in view of the tragic incident in Tamil Nadu and in honour of Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife and 11 other soldiers who lost their lives," he told reporters outside the Parliament.
"We condemn the Government for such an attitude. May God grant some wisdom to the government. What kind of democracy is there and how the House is being run when time is not being given to leaders to pay tribute to the top-most defence officer," he said.