Opposition lawmakers in India are accusing the country's government of an attack on democracy after dozens of them were suspended from parliament this week, escalating the ongoing dispute between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a newly formed alliance aiming to unseat them in the upcoming elections.

A total of 141 opposition lawmakers have been suspended by the house speakers, with 95 suspensions in the lower house and 46 in the upper chamber, making it a record-breaking move, according to CNN affiliate CNN News18. This suspension effectively grants Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP a majority in both houses, allowing them to legislate with little opposition until the end of the current session on Friday.

Leading the opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, chief of the Congress party, has raised concerns over a controversial criminal reform bill that is set to be debated in parliament. Kharge argues that the bill could potentially grant draconian powers and hinder the rights of citizens. Taking to the now defunct Twitter, he accused the Modi government of silencing the voice of the opposition during the crucial deliberation of these bills.

The suspensions were triggered by a significant security breach in parliament last week when two individuals stormed the chamber, chanting slogans and releasing colored gas. Opposition lawmakers demanded a parliamentary debate regarding the breach, but instead, they were suspended by their respective house speakers for causing disorder.

Expressing his solidarity with his suspended colleagues, Shashi Tharoor, a Congress lawmaker, revealed his own act of protest in the parliament, stating, "For the first time in my parliamentary career of nearly 15 years, I too entered the well of the House holding a placard calling for a discussion on the recent security breach." Tharoor believes that the suspensions were unjust and aimed at suppressing accountability from the government.

Another suspended Congress lawmaker, Jairam Ramesh, accused the government of engaging in a "complete purge." He alleged that the removal of opposition lawmakers was an attempt to push through draconian bills without proper debate or scrutiny.

The Human Rights Foundation, based in New York, has condemned the ongoing crackdown on opposition and critics by India's government. In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, the foundation described the suspensions as a "record number." The majority of the suspended MPs are part of the INDIA alliance, a coalition of opposition parties aiming to challenge Modi and the BJP in the general elections expected in May next year.

The BJP has long faced criticism from its opponents, who accuse the party of stifling opposition voices and undermining democracy in parliament. While CNN has reached out to the BJP for comment, the party has stated on X that the suspensions were imposed due to the conduct of the lawmakers in parliament.

In a recent interview with a Hindi-language newspaper, Modi acknowledged the seriousness of the security breach and called for an investigation but argued against the need for a parliamentary debate on the matter. The opposition, however, sees this as a deliberate attempt to silence their concerns and prevent meaningful discussions on vital issues facing the nation.