On Tuesday, 49 more opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha, taking the total number of suspended lawmakers to 141. The suspended MPs include senior leaders like Shashi Tharoor, Supriya Sule and Farooq Abdullah. This follows the unprecedented suspension of 78 MPs from both houses on Monday. The government justified the mass suspensions as necessary to ensure smooth legislative functioning amid disruptions. However, opposition leaders slammed the move, accusing the BJP of murdering democracy and stifling dissent. NCP's Sharad Pawar wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman alleging even some MPs not involved in disturbances were suspended. With depleted opposition numbers, the government can now easily push through key bills without debate, critics say.

In an extraordinary move, 79 MPs were suspended on Monday amid ongoing protests over last week's Parliament security breach, totaling nearly 100 suspensions. The list of those suspended includes the Congress' Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal, and Randeep Surjewala from the Rajya Sabha. From the Lok Sabha, the Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is also Leader of the Opposition, and Gaurav Gogoi have been suspended. The suspended MPs, constituting a quarter of opposition members, expressed outrage at the government's handling of the issue. Gaurav Gogoi criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah's "sheer arrogance" for addressing the issue through media rather than Parliament, highlighting the opposition's frustration over the lack of accountability following the security lapse.

The INDIA bloc, a coalition of Opposition parties, encounters a setback with half of its Rajya Sabha and one-third of Lok Sabha MPs suspended during the Winter Session. Suspension stems from protests seeking a statement on the Lok Sabha security breach. Mamata Banerjee deems it a "mockery of democracy," alleging BJP fear, while Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge laments, "all democratic norms had been thrown into the dustbin," describing the situation as a "bloodbath" in Rajya Sabha. TMC's Sougata Ray views it as a "murder of democracy," and RJD's Manoj Jha sarcastically congratulates "Modi ji on an opposition-mukt Parliament," considering the suspension a "badge of honour." The move raises concerns about democratic norms.

The Congress Working Committee will convene on December 21st to formulate the party's plan for contending the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The meeting follows a gathering of opposition INDIA bloc parties two days prior to discuss presenting a united front against the BJP. Congress aims to swiftly launch its campaign by focusing on key issues like unemployment and inflation while coordinating with allies on seat sharing and rallies. The proposed summit will also examine recent assembly election defeats and victories to understand reasons and strategize moving forward. With Rahul Gandhi potentially embarking on a hybrid yatra, Congress seeks to regain ground ahead of national elections.

In a strategic move following their setback in Madhya Pradesh elections, the Congress party has appointed Jitu Patwari as the new state unit chief, replacing former chief minister Kamal Nath. The decision underscores a focus on the influential Other Backward Classes (OBC) electorate, constituting over 50% of voters in the state. Despite Patwari's recent electoral defeat, the Congress aims for a fresh start ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections. The party also unveiled key appointments reflecting generational and caste balancing, with Umang Singhar as Legislative Party leader and Hemant Katare to potentially retain Brahmin community support.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla dismisses any connection between the suspension of 13 MPs and the recent Parliament security breach. In a letter to MPs, Birla deems linking the incidents as unwarranted, emphasizing the suspension's purpose to uphold the House's sanctity. He assures a high-level inquiry into the breach and a comprehensive security review. The security breach on December 13 involved two men throwing smoke canisters in the Lok Sabha, triggering panic on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attacks. Six accused have been arrested, with a mastermind seeking to create anarchy.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi links the recent Parliament security breach to unemployment and inflation caused by Prime Minister Modi's policies. Gandhi states that citizens' unemployment is the root cause, emphasizing the current challenges faced by the Indian population. Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge criticizes Union Home Minister Amit Shah for not addressing the matter in the House. The BJP-led Centre and Opposition clash over the breach, with accusations directed at the BJP for issuing visitors' passes to the accused. The incident involved intruders leaping into the Lok Sabha chamber, unleashing chaos during the Parliament Winter Session.

The Aam Aadmi Party has appointed its MP Raghav Chadha as the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha in place of Sanjay Singh, PTI sources said. In a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, the AAP party leadership has said that in the absence of Sanjay Singh, who has "health issues", Raghav Chadha will henceforth be the party's leader in the Upper House. AAP MP Sanjay Singh is currently behind bars in the Delhi liquor policy case. Sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat confirmed that a letter had been received from the AAP regarding appointing Chadha as its floor leader. The AAP has the fourth largest strength in Rajya Sabha after the BJP, the Congress and the TMC.

During Income Tax raids on premises linked to Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu, over Rs 351 crore in cash was recovered. Disassociating it from the Congress or any political party Sahu firmly stated, "The cash that has been recovered is related to my liquor firms. It is the proceedings from the sale of liquor." He emphasized family involvement, saying, "The money is not all mine, it belongs to my family and other related firms. I will give an account for everything." In addressing BJP claims of black money, Sahu insisted, "Let the Income Tax department decide if the seized cash is 'Kaala Dhan' or 'Safed Dhan.'" The raids concluded after seizing substantial cash and three kg of gold across Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Congress maintains distance, awaiting investigation results.

An Uttar Pradesh court on Friday convicted sitting BJP MLA Ramdular Gond of raping a minor girl in 2014, sentencing him to 25 years in prison. The MP-MLA court in Sonbhadra also ordered the Duddhi constituency legislator to pay a steep fine of Rs 10 lakhs. The case dates back to 2014 when the survivor's brother filed a police complaint under the POCSO Act, alleging that Gond, who was not an MLA at the time, had raped his sister. After a prolonged legal battle, Gond was found guilty earlier this week. The judge handed down the punishment on Friday. As per the law, Gond now faces imminent disqualification from the state legislative assembly due to the over two-year sentence. The survivor's family expressed relief over finally getting justice after a difficult struggle.