Speaker's 2-minute silence on Emergency triggers protests, adjournment
- In Reports
- 09:03 PM, Jun 26, 2024
- Myind Staff
On June 26th, smiles and handshakes were exchanged between rivals as Om Birla was re-elected as Lok Sabha Speaker. However, the brief moment of goodwill ended when the newly re-elected Speaker mentioned the "dark days of Emergency" and requested a two-minute silence.
After Om Birla, a three-time MP, was re-elected by voice vote, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi congratulated him and shook hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders, along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, then escorted Om Birla to the Speaker's chair.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated Mr. Birla, noting that his "sweet smile keeps the entire House happy" and remarked on the honour of Mr. Birla being elected to the chair for a second time. Opposition leaders also extended their congratulations to the Speaker, but emphasised the importance of allowing the Opposition to speak, as they too represent the voice of the people.
"The issue is not about how efficiently the House is managed, but how much of India's voice is being heard. Silencing the Opposition in the name of efficiency is undemocratic. This election has shown that the people of India expect the Opposition to defend the Constitution," said Mr. Gandhi, now the Leader of the Opposition. Several opposition leaders also highlighted the mass suspension of MPs during the last term in their congratulatory remarks.
In his address, Mr. Birla urged all members to work together for the nation and called for maintaining decorum in the House. He emphasised the need to distinguish between protests in the sansad (House) and those on the sadak (street). He then requested a two-minute silence to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the "dark days of Emergency," which led to an uproar from the Opposition benches and the adjournment of the House.
According to BJP sources, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. "It is our collective duty to create awareness about all historic events. Awareness towards the Constitution will only strengthen when the younger generation knows about democracy," a source stated.
Regarding the Speaker's comment on the Emergency, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarked that it was "unfortunate" and that the Speaker undermined the spirit of consensus with a "divisive" statement. "This was not necessary. It was 49 years ago. If you have to go to such lengths on a day when the message was to be one of cooperation and consensus, that's unfortunate," he said.
This was only the third election for the Lok Sabha Speaker since Independence. The Congress fielded its eight-time MP K Suresh against Om Birla, but the numbers favoured Birla, with 297 MPs supporting him compared to 232 backing Suresh.
Typically, the Lok Sabha Speaker is chosen by consensus. The government had sought support from Opposition parties, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had agreed to back the NDA candidate if the Deputy Speaker position went to the Opposition. However, the government clarified that they were not considering the Deputy Speaker post at this time. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju explained that the processes for electing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are separate and that the Speaker must be chosen first.
Rahul Gandhi criticised the government, claiming that the Prime Minister talks about cooperation but acts differently. He pointed out that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who had reached out to Opposition parties for support, did not follow up with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. "Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and asked for support. The entire Opposition agreed but stated that the convention is for the Deputy Speaker to be from our side. Rajnath Singh said he would call back, but he has not. The PM is asking for cooperation, but our leader is being insulted," Rahul Gandhi said.
It is noteworthy that the Deputy Speaker's post, traditionally given to an Opposition MP, was vacant in the last Lok Sabha. In the preceding term, the BJP had appointed its ally AIADMK's M. Thambi Durai to the position.
Image Source: Pragatiwadi
Comments