New Delhi, December 20: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, Sanjay Raut on Wednesday accused the BJP of reducing Parliament, which he termed the "Temple of Democracy", to a crematorium and then making grand plans to inaugurate the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya next month. In a sharp reaction to the unprecedented suspension of 141 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, Raut said that the BJP has become manic after winning the recent Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh.

“First you turn the ‘Temple of Democracy’, our parliament into a crematory and then make plans to inaugurate the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya with great fanfare… We never indulge in such duplicity. You will never get Lord Ram’s blessings,” he said. ‘Democracy Strangulated’: Sonia Gandhi Slams Centre, Targets PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for Distorting History To Defame Jawaharlal Nehru (Watch Video).

He said that the Centre should have ensured that the sanctity of parliament was maintained along with the divinity of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and vowed that the opposition parties will continue to fight for the cause of democracy and Parliament.

Raut said that the suspension of 141 MPs was not a "historic" event, but an example of shamelessness of the BJP and its blind followers that has made ashes of democracy in the country.

The SS-UBT leader’s strong comments came a day after ally Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar wrote to the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on the December 13 Parliament security breach incident. MPs Suspended From Parliament: PM Narendra Modi, BJP Want To Establish ‘Single Party Rule’ in Country, Says Mallikarjun Kharge on Suspension of 141 MPs.

Pawar had flayed the suspension of the MPs for seeking a statement on the serious incident, saying it was their right in a democracy. He also expressed concerns over the security lapses when some persons sneaked inside the Parliament complex and the House before they were caught.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2023 12:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).