Several women MPs of the BJP on Tuesday came out in support of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, while criticising Opposition MPs over an alleged "unfortunate incident" involving the throwing of papers at the Chair and entering the Well of the House during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address last week. They also sought action against the members for their actions, including surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chair, prompting him to cancel his speech.
In a letter to Speaker Om Birla, the BJP MPs alleged that Opposition women MPs had "surrounded the Prime Minister’s seat" and later aggressively approached the Speaker’s chamber on February 4. They urged the Speaker to take “the strongest possible action” against those involved in the alleged incident.
The letter was written in response to an earlier communication from Congress women MPs, who had accused the ruling party of forcing the Speaker to make “false, baseless, and defamatory” claims against them.
Claims of disorder in the House
The BJP MPs said the country witnessed an “unfortunate and regrettable incident” inside the Lok Sabha chamber, when “members of opposition parties not only enter the Well of the House, but also climb onto the tables, tear up papers, and throw them towards the Speaker.”
They added that although they were “deeply provoked and enraged”, they chose not to retaliate, acting on the instructions of senior party leaders. The BJP described the episode as one of the “darkest moments in the history of our parliamentary democracy.”
Allegations over Speaker’s chamber incident
According to the letter, the situation worsened later when Opposition MPs allegedly approached the Speaker’s chamber in an aggressive manner. “The matter became even more serious when, later, we saw opposition MPs aggressively approach your chamber. We could hear loud noises coming from inside your chamber,” the letter stated.
The BJP MPs also praised Om Birla’s conduct as Speaker, saying that during his nearly 7 year tenure as the Presiding Officer of the Lok Sabha, he has “consistently strived to enhance its prestige and effectiveness” and has “demonstrated impartiality and given equal opportunities to all members, regardless of party affiliation.”
Speaker’s remarks on PM’s absence
On Thursday, Speaker Om Birla said he had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the House to avoid any unpleasant incident, after receiving information that some Congress MPs might go to the Prime Minister’s seat and “resort to an unprecedented incident”.
On Monday, Congress women MPs said their protests in the House were peaceful and in keeping with parliamentary norms, but claimed they were subjected to unprecedented targeting.
In their letter, they alleged that during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was repeatedly denied the opportunity to speak over 4 consecutive days. They also claimed that a BJP MP was allowed to make “vulgar and obscene” remarks about former Prime Ministers.
They further said that when they met the Speaker to demand action against the BJP MP, he acknowledged a “grave mistake” but later indicated that he was awaiting the government’s response, suggesting that he no longer acted independently in such matters.
The MPs alleged that the following day, the Speaker, reportedly under pressure from the ruling party to justify the Prime Minister’s absence, issued a statement making “grave allegations” against them.
Lok Sabha stalemate
The controversy has unfolded amid a continuing stalemate in the Lok Sabha over Rahul Gandhi’s address during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. The deadlock arose after Gandhi attempted to cite former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir while referring to the 2020 standoff with China.
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