Record number of Indian lawmakers suspended for unruly behavior

NEW DELHI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Suspension of lawmakers from the lower house of the Indian parliament, locally called Lok Sabha, continued on Tuesday as 48 more were suspended for unruly behavior.

On Monday 78 lawmakers from both houses were suspended from the ongoing winter session of the parliament. Tuesday's suspension has taken the total number of suspended lawmakers to a record 141.

The lawmakers have been suspended for disrupting proceedings of the houses.

The parliament members from the opposition parties have been protesting over last week's major security breach in Lok Sabha and seeking a statement from Home (Internal Security) Minister Amit Shah on the issue.

Last week two young men carrying smoke canisters jumped from the visitors' gallery, running into Lok Sabha while the proceedings were going on.

Two others - a man and a woman - were detained outside the parliament by the police, also with colored smoke canisters that exploded.

Apart from the four, police have arrested two more people in connection with the case so far. They have reportedly told investigators that their objective was to draw attention to Manipur violence, unemployment and farmers' problems.

Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla said a high-level inquiry committee has been formed for an in-depth probe of the security breach.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the security breach incident as "very serious" and told a local newspaper that there was "no need to debate" the issue, instead a "detailed investigation" should be carried out to find the people behind it.