Rajasthan Congress burns Modi's effigy over MPs' suspension

The Congress party here on Tuesday burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protest the five-day suspension of its 25 MPs from the Lok Sabha.

Senior Congress leaders including the party's state president Sachin Pilot, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and former union minister Namonarain Meena also took part in the demonstration.

The party workers took out a rally, carrying Congress flags and raised slogans like "Narendra Modi Hosh Mein Aayo" and "Bhajpa ki tanashahi nahin chalegi". The party activists also burnt an effigy of prime minister Narendra Modi.

Talking to the media after the demonstration, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said, "We condemn suspension of the party's MPs. This is just a step to divert the attention of the public from the main issue."

Stating that no crime could be bigger than helping Lalit Modi, a fugitive, in procuring travel documents, Gehlot accused "both Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj" of having done it.

"Business relations between Chief Minister Raje and Lalit Modi (former IPL chief) have already come forward, what else is needed or what more has to be said on the issue?" he asked.

Sachin Pilot said it was really shameful to suspend the Congress MPs. "If need be, we will hold demonstrations on the streets on the issue."

On Monday, Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan suspended 25 Congress parliamentarians for five days for "willfully obstructing the business of the house" and not adhering to her repeated warnings to observe the rules of the house.