New Delhi: The fourth day of Lok Sabha saw continued chaos in the House, with Opposition members storming into the well and raising slogans, soon after it convened on Thursday. This prompted a dressing down from the Speaker Om Birla, who not only reminded the protesting Congress MPs of the party’s glorious past but also warned them against such ‘antics’ in the House.
Om Birla, visibly frustrated, over repeated uproar by the Opposition members, pointed to senior Parliamentarian K.C. Venugopal and asked, “Do you teach them such methods to disrupt the House?” referring to loud protests and sloganeering by Congress MPs.
The LS Speaker told the protesting lawmakers that Parliament is for debating public issues and not for demonstrations, and it’s time that they mend their ways because the nation, as well as countrymen, are watching.
For the fourth straight day, Parliament witnessed government-Opposition deadlock, leading to stalling of legislative business.
The Congress-led Opposition has been demanding urgent debate on ECI’s voters list revision in Bihar, calling it a ‘government-sponsored’ exercise to disenfranchise certain sections of voters.
The disruptions happened during the Question Hour. Taking objection to it, Speaker Om Birla advised the protesting lawmakers to refrain from such behaviour as it derails the entire democratic process of raising people’s questions.
“Accountability and transparency form the cornerstone of our democracy. All must contribute to maintaining the dignity and decorum of the House. As the world’s biggest democracy, we must lead by example and set benchmarks,” he said.
As Om Birla’s persuasion failed to placate the members and restore order, the Speaker raised his pitch and called out Congress Parliamentarian K.C. Venugopal over continued slogan-shouting and placard-waving in the House.
“You are members of a very old party. This party has had many precedents of setting new benchmarks and establishing norms of good conduct, but today the new generation of leaders is completely losing it,” Birla told the protesting MPs.
Pointing to continuous sloganeering and waving of placards, the LS Speaker said the conduct of new-age leaders is beyond comprehension and also reprehensible.
“You people are wasting crores of taxpayers’ money. You have been sent to the Parliament by lakhs of voters, not for disrupting the House but for raising their issues,” he said.
He also warned against waving of placards, stating that such behaviour will not be accepted at all.
(IANS)
