‘Restore fairness, transparency, parliamentary norms’: Oppn to Om Birla

An opposition parties' delegation met Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Thursday, 27 March, to flag the denial of opportunity to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak in the House, as well as the "politicisation" of his asking the Congress leader to follow the rules of procedure.

Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said the INDIA bloc delegation, comprising the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Kerala Congress, RJD, IUML, RLP and MDMK, met the speaker during Zero Hour.

Sources said Gogoi, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, Congress whip Manickam Tagore, DMK's A. Raja, SP's Dharmendra Yadav, TMC's Kalyan Banerjee and NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule were among the MPs who met the speaker.

"We have given a letter, which was signed by many parties, including the RSP and Shiv Sena (UBT). We conveyed our collective concern and disappointment to the speaker on how the ruling side is violating the traditions, rules and culture of the House," Gogoi told reporters after the meeting.

He said the main matter was the context and issue over which Birla made a statement on the LoP on Wednesday, 26 March.

"He made a reference to Rule 349 and said the members and the LoP must follow this. What specific incident he was referring to was not clear. There was politicisation and propaganda over the speaker's remarks. We apprised the speaker of how his remarks had been politicised outside," Gogoi said.

"When the LoP stood up, the House was adjourned. He was not allowed to speak, despite his name being taken in the House. The whole country saw it.

"LoP is a constitutional post. Remarks were made about him but he was not allowed to speak. There was no clarity on what incident the speaker was referring to but the BJP IT cell was politicising the issue," he said, terming the incident saddening.

The convention of allowing the LoP to speak when they stand up has been disregarded repeatedly.

This breaks from past parliamentary practice and diminishes the space for a healthy debate in the House, the Congress leader said.

"A well-functioning democracy requires the smooth operation of Parliament, where all members, irrespective of party affiliation, are given an equal opportunity to debate, deliberate and discharge their constitutional duties. However, certain disturbing trends have emerged, which undermine the sanctity of Parliament," the sources quoted the opposition leaders as saying in the letter.

They also raised the issue of non-appointment of a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha.

Citing Article 93 of the Constitution, which mandates the election of the speaker and a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha, the opposition leaders pointed out in their letter to Birla that the deputy speaker's post has been vacant since 2019.

The absence of a deputy speaker sets a dangerous precedent, affecting the neutrality and functioning of the House, they said.

The opposition leaders also said while the business advisory committee's decisions have traditionally not been binding, the government unilaterally introduces business in the House, without prior consultation or information.

"For instance, the prime minister's statement in the House last week was made without prior scheduling or intimation," the leaders conveyed to the speaker.

Alleging a neglect of adjournment motions, they said these motions, which were traditionally read out and allowed discussions during Zero Hour, are now either ignored or summarily rejected, curtailing the MPs' right to raise urgent national issues.

They also claimed that private members' bills and resolutions, which provide non-ministerial MPs an opportunity to propose laws, are not given sufficient time for discussions.

The delegation also raised the issue of exclusion of key ministries from the Budget and Demand for Grants discussions and a lack of deliberations under Rule 193.

In the letter, the sources said the opposition MPs also flagged the issue of their microphones being switched off.

They claimed that it has become a pattern that whenever opposition floor leaders and MPs speak, the Sansad TV camera changes its angle and does not show them.

They also alleged that opposition parties are not being consulted on the composition and chairmanship of committees.

These developments are deeply concerning and warrant immediate corrective measures to uphold the integrity of India's parliamentary democracy, they said.

"We urge you to take appropriate steps to restore fairness, transparency and adherence to established parliamentary norms," the opposition leaders were quoted as saying by the sources.

Birla on Wednesday, 26 March, asked Gandhi to conduct himself in line with the rules of procedure that the members are expected to observe to uphold the dignity of the House. The LoP claimed that the remarks against him were "unsubstantiated".

Birla did not specify the trigger behind censuring Gandhi, who was present in the House and wanted to speak on some issue. He adjourned the proceedings after making his point.

In a post on X, BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya suggested that the speaker's remarks were prompted by Gandhi affectionately cupping the cheeks of his sister, MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, during the proceedings a few days ago.