Whether inside Lok Sabha or outside, avoid commenting on Chair: Om Birla

Birla made the observation in the LS a day after TMC MP Mahua Moitra, took to Twitter, alleging that although she was not allowed to speak for the entirety of the 13 minutes

The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday asked members to respect the chair and avoid making adverse comments against the presiding officer either on social media or inside or outside the House.

Birla made the observation in the Lok Sabha a day after Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, took to Twitter, alleging that although she was not allowed to speak for the entirety of the 13 minutes of time she was allotted to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his speech on the first day of the Budget Session. Rama Devi, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, was in the chair, presiding over the sitting of the House in the absence of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

“Whether inside the house or outside, comments made on the Chair is not good for the dignity of the House. The dignity of the house is sacrosanct and every honourable member should respect it,” Birla said, without directly referring to Moitra.

“The Chair always tries to be impartial and work impartially, runs the house in accordance with the rules and allots honourable members enough time to speak in the house," he added.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, as well as the leaders of other political parties, including Sudip Bandopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress, expressed support to the observation by the Speaker and pledged to cooperate with him to maintain the dignity of the chair and the House.

Moitra, known for her fiery speeches in the Lok Sabha, was asked by Rama Devi to speak without getting angry. The Trinamool Congress MP replied that what she could do if she got angry while criticizing the government. She later alleged that her microphone was switched off by Rama Devi before she could finish her speech and another member was asked to speak.

Moitra later met Birla in his chamber to complain that she was not allowed to speak for the entirety of the time she was allotted. “LS Speaker had alloted (allotted) AT LEAST 13 mins (minutes) to me, when confronted in his chamber he claimed he was not in the chair, hence cant (cannot) be blamed. When further cornered, he said ‘It was my greatness that I even allowed you 13 mins in 1st place’, Unbelievable,” the Trinamool Congress MP posted on Twitter.

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