A deepening rift over parliamentary conduct saw several women MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) publicly rally behind Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, condemning Opposition members for what they termed an “unfortunate and regrettable incident” last week. Their statements, made via a letter to the Speaker, intensify a bitter war of words with Congress women MPs over events during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address.
The BJP MPs’ letter is a direct counter to an earlier communication from Congress women MPs and contains serious allegations. It accuses Opposition members of creating disorder by entering the Well of the House, climbing onto tables, tearing papers, and throwing them toward the Chair. The letter further claims that the situation escalated when Opposition MPs “aggressively approach[ed]” the Speaker’s chamber, creating loud disturbances.
A central and contentious claim in the BJP letter involves Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The MPs allege that Opposition members “surrounded the Prime Minister’s seat,” an action they say prompted the PM to cancel his scheduled speech. This aligns with Speaker Om Birla’s statement last Thursday, where he said he had advised the Prime Minister not to come to the House to avoid any “unpleasant incident,” based on information that some Congress MPs might resort to an “unprecedented” act near the PM’s seat.
“Although we were deeply provoked and enraged, we chose not to retaliate,” the BJP MPs stated, adding that the episode marked “one of the darkest moments in the history of our parliamentary democracy.” They urged the Speaker to take “the strongest possible action” against those involved.
Congress Counters: Allegations of Bias and Provocation
The BJP’s offensive comes in response to a letter from Congress women MPs, who presented a starkly different narrative. They defended their protests as peaceful and within parliamentary norms, arguing they were “subjected to unprecedented targeting.”
Their grievances focused on allegations of bias and obstruction. They claimed that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was repeatedly denied the chance to speak over four consecutive days. Furthermore, they alleged that a BJP MP was permitted to make “vulgar and obscene” remarks about former Prime Ministers without reprimand.
In a serious charge against the Speaker’s Office, the Congress MPs claimed that when they met him to demand action against the BJP MP, he initially acknowledged a “grave mistake” but later indicated he was awaiting the government’s response. This, they suggested, showed the Speaker was no longer acting independently. They accused the ruling party of forcing the Speaker to later make “false, baseless, and defamatory” claims against them to justify the Prime Minister’s absence.
Speaker’s Conduct at the Center
Amidst the cross-allegations, the BJP women MPs praised Om Birla’s tenure, stating he has “consistently strived to enhance [the House’s] prestige and effectiveness” and has “demonstrated impartiality.” This stands in direct contrast to the Congress MPs’ implicit criticism of his autonomy.
The conflicting letters reveal a parliament deeply divided, with both sides accusing the other of eroding democratic decorum. While the BJP frame the events as an unprecedented assault on the dignity of the Chair and the Prime Minister, the Congress positions its actions as a justified protest against systematic silencing and partisan control of the Chair.
The ball now lies in Speaker Om Birla’s court, not only to manage the immediate uproar but to navigate claims about his own impartiality and authority in a fiercely polarized environment. The demand for “strongest possible action” sets the stage for a potential disciplinary move that could further inflame tensions in the Lower House.
Leave Your Comment