The suspension of the 12 opposition MPs won’t be revoked as “they haven’t expressed remorse”, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu told an angry House this morning. “Suspended MPs have not expressed remorse. I am not considering the appeal of Leader of Opposition (the Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge). Suspension will not be revoked,” he said.

The 16 parties said that if the contentious suspension – which they have argued is against parliamentary laws, since the rules do not allow for punishments to be carried over into following sessions – is not revoked, they intend to boycott today’s session of the Rajya Sabha.

The 16 parties are the Congress, Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK as well as the MDMK, the Shiv Sena and the NCP (in power in Maharashtra with the Congress), the CPM and CPI, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Indian Union Muslim League, the LJD, Jammu and Kashmir’s National Conference, the RSP, Telangana’s ruling TRS, the Kerala Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the VCK.

Yesterday (the first day of Parliament’s winter session), 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, including the Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, were suspended from this entire session for scenes of ruckus in August, when opposition MPs and the government were at loggerheads over the Pegasus scandal.

The opposition has condemned the suspension, calling it “unwarranted and undemocratic”. Floor leaders of more than a dozen opposition parties met today to chalk out their response.

Other opposition MPs have also hit out, with the Congress’ Abhishek Singhvi pointing out it had skewed voting numbers (in the Rajya Sabha) decidedly in the government’s favour. “By suspending 12 MPs from the Rajya Sabha, BJP has now gone ahead of the majority number. Can easily pass listed bills through the upper house now,” he tweeted.

There is no precedent on action being taken against MPs for actions in a previous session, which Ms Chaturvedi has pointed out. Rule 256, under which they have been suspended, says a Member of Parliament can be suspended “for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session”.

This morning Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the government had been “forced” to suspend the MPs from this Parliament session for “misbehaviour” related to the events of August 11, the last day of the previous session, but could revoke the suspension if they apologised.

Mr Joshi tweeted Tuesday morning to also say the government planned to introduce “important bills” in the House in this session, and called on the opposition to “allow… a healthy discussion”.

The protests for which the 12 MPs have been suspended took place on August 11 (the monsoon session of Parliament) when opposition MPs and the government were at loggerheads over the Pegasus scandal. Women MPs alleged they were roughed up by House marshals, but the government countered saying it was women marshals who were attacked.