NEW DELHI: Amid a logjam in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla on Monday made an “emotional appeal” to floor leaders of parties, urging them to let the voice of the people be heard and allow the House to function without disruption, said sources.
At the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), Birla said he is pained by the deadlock in the House. Sources said that Birla also urged the leaders that key bills should be discussed in the House and there should be no disruption so that MPs can express their views on the laws being passed by Parliament.
Since the Monsoon session began on July 20, the Opposition has been holding protests demanding a response from Home Minister Amit Shah on the police crackdown on students protesting NEET paper leak across the country and a debate on the alleged theft of donations from Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Emphasising the importance of constructive deliberations, meaningful participation and adherence to the highest parliamentary traditions, the Speaker appealed to all parties to extend their cooperation in ensuring the smooth and orderly conduct of the proceedings so that issues concerning the people can be discussed in a comprehensive and productive manner, sources said.
According to sources, the Speaker also informed that the main demand of the opposition was a statement by the Home Minister, to which the government has agreed. In view of this, the members were requested to participate in the discussion instead of resorting to disruptions and to present their views on issues concerning students.
The Speaker further stated that several important public-interest and legislative matters are pending before the House. He urged all parties to cooperate in making the House meaningful and effective through discussion and dialogue, in accordance with parliamentary norms and traditions, said sources.
16 days of Question Hour disrupted due to sloganeering
For the 16th straight day, the Lower House has not been able to complete the Question Hour due to persistent sloganeering by opposition members. As many as nine bills were passed by the Lok Sabha during the ongoing session, but a debate could take place only on two legislations.