More than half of the opposition MPs in India's lower house of parliament have now been suspended in an unprecedented stand-off with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government ahead of general elections in four months.
Two more members of the Lok Sabha were suspended on Wednesday for disrupting proceedings, following the suspension of 49 MPs the previous day and 78 on Monday, the most in one day.
The opposition politicians were suspended after waving placards and shouting to demand a response from the government and a discussion of a security breach in parliament last week. MPs say they are concerned about the safety of the building after two men were able to set off smoke canisters in the gallery.
The total number of opposition MPs suspended is now 143, which is more than half of the opposition politicians of both houses. In the 543-member lower house, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a clear majority.
The opposition has called the government's move a "mockery of democracy" but the BJP has justified their suspension by saying they "embarrassed" the country with their conduct.
"Democracy has been strangulated by this government," said Sonia Gandhi of the main opposition Congress party.
"Never before have so many opposition members of parliament been suspended from the house and that, too, simply for raising a perfectly reasonable and legitimate demand."
The showdown between the opposition and ruling party is expected to intensify ahead of the general election, which will take place in the summer. The opposition coalition – an alliance of two dozen parties – is trying to prevent Mr Modi from returning to power for a third consecutive term. They received a setback when the Congress party suffered a defeat this month by losing three of four key states in assembly elections. They will hold nationwide protests over the suspension of MPs on Friday.
As the Lok Sabha proceedings continued on Wednesday with almost no opposition members present, the chamber approved the crucial bills including overhauling colonial-era criminal laws and amending the telecoms bill seeking expansion and operations of the sector.
"This is an unprecedented development," said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a political analyst who wrote a biography on Mr Modi.
"It appears they don’t want any dissent in the country," he told The National.
"Unfortunately, key bills will be passed without opposition and without debate.
"The showdown between the opposition and the government will be worse in the next few months before elections."
The opposition has lost more than two thirds of its strength in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Similarly, in Rajya Sabha or upper house, close to half of opposition lawmakers have been suspended. "Unfortunately, we have to start writing obituaries for parliamentary democracy in India," Shashi Tharoor of the Congress party told reports on Tuesday in New Delhi after being suspended.
There was a security breach in India's parliament building last week, on the anniversary of a deadly terrorist attack on the legislative complex in New Delhi 22 years ago.
Two men jumped from the visitors’ gallery into the well of the lower house and set off smoke canisters that released thick yellow fumes, triggering nationwide alarm and raising questions over the security of one of India’s most protected sites.
Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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