New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech in the Lok Sabha, delivered a day earlier, saying it highlighted the importance of parliamentary traditions and the need for collective work for the country’s progress.
HM Shah had strongly defended Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday and criticised the opposition for bringing a notice seeking his removal from the Chair. Responding to the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Speaker, the Home Minister said the position of the Speaker rises above party politics and represents the entire House.
Taking to X, Prime Minister Modi commended the address delivered by the Home Minister.
“A fine speech by Home Minister Shri Amitbhai Shah. His address is rich in facts and outlines the importance of Parliamentary traditions as well as the importance of working collectively for national progress,” the Prime Minister wrote.
During his speech in the Lok Sabha, Amit Shah emphasised that the Speaker serves the entire House and does not represent any political party.
“The Speaker is the custodian of the entire House and accountable to all the members. Bringing a no-confidence motion against him is not an ordinary event. By doing so, the opposition has chosen to attack the very fabric of the Constitution as well as the democratic principles,” HM Shah said.
The Home Minister also criticised the opposition for questioning the integrity of the Speaker, saying such actions weaken the credibility of democratic institutions.
He said that raising doubts about the neutrality of the Speaker undermines the functioning of Parliament and erodes the trust placed in constitutional positions.
Speaking during the proceedings in the Lok Sabha, the Home Minister said there had been no extraordinary incident that justified prolonged confrontation in the House, yet the issue had already been discussed at length.
HM Shah noted that differences of opinion over the Speaker’s decisions may exist, but the rules governing the Lok Sabha clearly state that the Speaker’s ruling is final.
He also took a swipe at the opposition for bringing the notice seeking the removal of Om Birla and accused them of creating pandemonium in the House by making what he described as misleading claims.
The Home Minister rejected allegations that the Leader of Opposition had not been allowed to speak, saying the House functions according to established rules and procedures, which every member must follow.
However, he added that if a member deliberately violates these rules, there is nothing inappropriate in the Chair reprimanding the member.
Shah also remarked that senior parliamentarians such as Shashi Tharoor and others should advise Congress leaders about respecting parliamentary traditions and customs.
Referring to the issue of appointing a Deputy Speaker, Shah said historical precedents contradict the claims made by the opposition.
According to him, on all three occasions in parliamentary history when a no-confidence motion was moved against a Lok Sabha Speaker, the proceedings were presided over by the Deputy Speaker.
Addressing the opposition’s criticism that the government has not appointed a Deputy Speaker, HM Shah argued that past parliamentary practices present a different picture from what the opposition was claiming.
Drawing a broader comparison between the BJP and the Congress regarding parliamentary conduct, the Home Minister said that during the last seven decades, three no-confidence motions had been brought against Lok Sabha Speakers and the BJP had not been involved in any of them.
(IANS)
