'Conspiracy to convert Parliament into platform for ruling party': Mallikarjun Kharge on suspension of 146 MPs

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100 MPs now suspended from Lok Sabha as Opposition leaders protest, total tally reaches 146 "The biggest challenge is that the people holding constitutional positions, who are responsible for providing protection to the opposition MPs, are themselves becoming a part of party politics and doing politics using caste, region and occupation as their shield," Mallikarjun Kharge said at the CWC meet, adding, "[There is a] conspiracy to convert Parliament into platform for ruling party." "Country [is] watching how BJP is strangulating democracy by arbitrarily passing key bills without discussion," Mallikarjun Kharge said. Addressing party leaders at a crucial meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress has learnt valuable lessons from its mistakes in the Assembly elections and is "committed to not repeating them".

"Outcomes of recent Assembly polls disappointing," he said. Mallikarjun Kharge also said several Congress leaders want Rahul Gandhi to undertake another Bharat Jodo Yatra from east to west but the final decision is up to him and the CWC, the Congress' highest decision-making body.

"Congress leaders want Rahul Gandhi to undertake another Bharat Jodo Yatra from east to west, final decision is up to him," Kharge said. The Congress president also urged the party leaders to "concentrate on actionable points" for Lok Sabha elections.

This is the first CWC meeting after the Congress' recent poll debacle. The Assembly elections were held in five states -- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.