The protesting MPs slept in mosquito nets.
New Delhi: The Opposition has chosen the entrance of parliament for its 50-hour protest against the suspension of MPs. Several Opposition leaders shared photos of the five MPs who spent their second night out in the open, on the lawns near Mahatma Gandhi's statue. The MPs can be seen sleeping in mosquito nets in the photos.
Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien, in a tweet at 1 am, urged parliament to cancel the suspension of 27 MPs who were suspended for seeking a discussion on price rise.
"Update. It's one in the morning. #Parliament 29 July. Pic from dharna site. Non stop day-night 50 hr dharna still on. 12 hours to go. Revoke suspension of 27 MPs who were suspended for seeking a discussion on #PriceRise (sic)," Derek O'Brien wrote.
The 50-hour sit-in, which is likely to end around 1 pm today, started on Wednesday in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue In the parliament complex. The site was chosen as the protesters said they wanted to remind PM Modi of the promise he made when he arrived in parliament in 2014. "We want to remind Modi of the promise he made when he arrived on the first day. That is the place where he touched his forehead on the stairs," a leader said.
The protest was later shifted to the Parliament entrance amid heavy rains.
The MPs who staked out at parliament were Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, Trinamool Congress leaders Santanu Sen, Dola Sen, Abir Ranjan Biswas, and Derek O'Brien as well as the TRS's Ravichandra Vaddiraju. Some leaders from the DMK and Left parties were also part of the group.
Yesterday, the MPs were provided lunch of idli by the DMK while the Trinamool served them fish fry and tandoori chicken. This generated controversy with BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala objecting to non-vegetarian food being served in front of the Gandhi statue.