Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said he had advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to enter the Lok Sabha amid escalating disruptions, after Opposition members allegedly surrounded the Speaker’s chair and created disorder in the House.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the adjournment of proceedings just before the Prime Minister’s scheduled address, Birla said he had prior information that Opposition MPs, led by the Indian National Congress, were planning to disrupt the House during the Prime Minister’s reply to the motion of thanks on the President’s address.
The Lok Sabha witnessed chaotic scenes on Wednesday as several Opposition women MPs marched towards the Treasury benches holding banners ahead of the Prime Minister’s address. While BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary was speaking, Opposition members moved into the Well of the House, raising slogans over the India–US trade deal and references to former Army chief M.M. Naravane’s unpublished book.
As the protests intensified, the Prime Minister was not present in the House and the Speaker adjourned the proceedings without Modi delivering his address.
Strongly condemning the conduct of the protesting MPs, Birla said some members had “misbehaved” inside the chamber and accused the Opposition of violating parliamentary decorum.
“It has never been the tradition of this House to bring political differences to the office of the Speaker. What happened yesterday is a black spot in the history of Parliament,” Birla said.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
