Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday has suspended 25 Congress MPs for five days for unruly behaviour in the House. An all-party meeting failed to break the parliamentary logjam, with the Congress and the NDA are reiterating their stated positions on the resignations over Lalit Modi and Vyapam issues.

"The Congress stuck to its demand of 'first resignations and then only the house will run'. However, other parties are of the view that the house should function and there should be debates and discussions on a lot of issues, from regional to national," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said.

As Ms Mahajan announced about the punishment, the Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay requested her to take a more lenient view, but the Speaker did not relent.

By Premji