Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 11: The Congress and more specifically the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi were under severe attack from the treasury benches during the discussion in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday on the no-confidence motion against the Speaker Om Birla with the union home minister Amit Shah describing the move as an attack on the democratic structure of the country.
Participating in the debate on the motion, Mr Shah said “questioning the Speaker’s integrity” was the same as questioning the country’s democracy — which is why the BJP has never done it. This Lok Sabha is the biggest panchayat of democracy and when questions are raised about the chief of this panchayat, it raises a big question on our democratic process,” he said.
As the heated discussion on the resolution to remove Speaker Om Birla continued in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Mr Shah insisted that parliament should function in a cordial environment for which he maintained that every member was supposed to speak adhering to the rules. “If you go against the rules then it is the job of speaker to intervene. You cannot ever raise doubts on the intention of Lok Sabha speaker. If the Opposition questions the intention of the Speaker, then it is really unfortunate and we condemn this,” he said. “Even we were in Opposition and have always acted according to rules,” he added.
The Opposition, in its notice to move a no-confidence motion, had accused the Speaker of partisan behaviour, citing how the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders were not allowed to speak in the House and eight Opposition MPs were suspended for the entire Budget Session. The notice also alleged that baseless allegations were made against the women MPs.
Gandhi had not been allowed to read excerpts from an unpublished book by former Army chief General MM Naravane. He later wrote to the Speaker, alleging that he was deliberately stopped from speaking in response to President’s address on a matter of national security, which was very much a part of the President’s address. “Preventing me from speaking in the Lok Sabha today… gives rise to a serious concern that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent me, in my capacity as the Leader of the Opposition, from speaking on matters of national security,” he wrote.
On Wednesday Shah attacked the Opposition of trying to take the “high moral ground” which they did not deserve, and said it was the Opposition’s own behaviour that earned them the penalties. “Even we were in the opposition and have always acted according to rules. You tear papers and throw it at the Speaker.. is this how you want to run this house? What kind of behaviour is this?? Women MPs from Opposition gheraoed the chair of the Prime Minister… one should know that a chair is chair,” he said.
“I want to say that when the Lok Sabha Speaker was elected, leaders of both the sides (the government and the Opposition) supported him… There can be disagreement on any of the decision of the Speaker but the decision of the speaker is considered to be the final… If MPs go to the chamber of Speaker today, there is concern regarding the security of the Speaker,” Shah said.
There was brief uproar in the House from the opposition benches as Shah attacked Rahul Gandhi saying the Leader of the Opposition travel to different places for the party’s purposes and publicity, but he skipped the President’s speech, and more. “During key parliamentary sessions, he travels abroad and then says he is not allowed to speak,” the Home Minister said. “In 17th LS, Rahul Gandhi’s attendance was 51%, average was 66%; in 16th LS, his attendance was 52%, average was 80%, Mr Shah pointed out. The Opposition broke into a protest, shouting slogans of Maafi maango, asking the Home Minister to apologise.
Mr Shah also pointed out that the Congress party spoke for 175 hours and 55 minutes in the 18th Lok Sabha. “How much did you speak? Why didn’t you speak? Which Speaker stopped you? This is the wrong narrative being made to tarnish the Lok Sabha,” he said. “More than that, the Opposition leader’s party is not saying anything about the impeachment motion against the Speaker. They don’t want to speak, and when they want to speak, they don’t speak according to the rules,” Mr Shah said.
He said the opposition did not follow the rules, but they complain that they don’t get to speak. “They have come here saying their mics have been turned off. Those who don’t speak with respect for the rules, with discipline, their mic will be turned off, and it should be turned off.”
Mr Shah said, “If you want, bring a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister, if you want, it can come in the Lok Sabha. However, a no-confidence motion against the custodian of the House, I do not agree with.” “Generally, a no-confidence motion does not come forward. Usually, they speak to the Speaker in the chamber, or the Speaker calls a special meeting of both sides, and the issues usually get resolved. But now, there is an atmosphere of worry about the safety of the Speaker. There is nothing worse than that, Mr Shah said.
