Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Treasury benches on Friday sharply criticised the Opposition for what they termed as attempts to undermine the sanctity of Parliament as protests over the LPG crisis continued to disrupt proceedings in the House.
A visibly upset Speaker told members that maintaining the dignity of Parliament was the collective responsibility of all lawmakers, accusing Opposition MPs of “destroying the sanctity of the House” through their conduct.
“I want to urge you that maintaining the sanctity of the House, whether inside or outside, is everybody’s responsibility…. The kind of conduct and behaviour you are displaying is destroying the sanctity of Parliament,” Birla said before adjourning Question Hour on Friday morning.
The Speaker’s remarks came after Opposition members, largely from the Congress, trooped into the Well of the House and raised slogans against the government over the LPG crisis. The protests erupted after Congress MP K.C. Venugopal said an adjournment notice had been moved seeking suspension of the day’s business to discuss the LPG crisis. Birla, however, ruled that Question Hour could not be used to raise unrelated issues.
The Opposition has been staging protests inside and outside Parliament, accusing the Narendra Modi government of triggering the LPG crisis through mismanagement amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Besides repeatedly stalling proceedings in the Lok Sabha, protesting MPs have been sitting on the steps of Parliament’s main entrance. Several BJP members alleged that Congress MPs were blocking their entry despite directions from the Speaker.
Birla has struck a noticeably firmer tone since returning to preside over the House on Thursday after a no-trust motion against him was defeated. Stressing the primacy of established rules and procedures, he has maintained that no member enjoys any “special privilege”.
When Congress MP Mohammad Javed sought to draw the Speaker’s attention to the suspension of eight Opposition MPs, Birla responded: “If they climb on the bench, they will face this action. This should be clear.” The MPs had been suspended from the rest of the session in the first part of the budget session.”
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju later joined the attack on the Opposition, particularly the Congress, when the House reconvened at noon and protests resumed, with members raising slogans of “Modiji, LPG”.
Rijiju targeted leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who was not present in the House, accusing him of misreading public sentiment and warning that people would “punish” him for “theatrics” over the LPG issue.