Joy criticises black US lawmakers’ expulsion over gun control

Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy has criticised the expulsion of two black minority US state lawmakers, sparing a white one, in Tennessee over their gun control protests, questioning the fairness of democracy in the United States.   

“US State legislature votes to expel two minority lawmakers, while keeping a third who was white. This is the state of democracy in the US,” Joy said overnight in his verified Facebook status.   

He also added: “The US State Department are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites”.

Tennessee’s Republican-controlled House voted Thursday to expel Justin Jones and fellow lawmaker Justin   Pearson, who are both Black, for speaking out of turn during a gun control protest in the House chamber the week prior.  

Republican Gloria Johnson, a white lawmaker too participated in the demonstration, faced an expulsion vote that ultimately failed.   

Jones later vowed he would seek re-election for his Nashville seat, calling his removal an attack on democracy.    

Republicans voted to expel Jones and his fellow Democratic colleague Pearson for leading a gun control protest on 30 March.