TMC MP Mahua Moitra may face action for criticising Lok Sabha Chair; here's all you need to know

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra could face action for criticising presiding officer Rama Devi, reported India Today. However, the report also said that she could be let off with a warning.

For the unversed, participating in the Motion of Thanks on the president's address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Moitra on Thursday was her fiery self as she took on the government over various issues.

Rama Devi, interrupting her mid-sentence, which seemed to take Moitra by surprise, asked her to "speak with love" and "not to get so angry".

In the House, Moitra took the disruption sportingly. She quoted poet Ramdhari Singh "Dinkar" -- "the world worships tolerance, forgiveness and mercy only when the mirror of power shines behind it" -- in response. She then said she will keep the chair's suggestion in mind and continued with her speech.

However, barely an hour later, Moitra took to Twitter to hit out at Devi. The TMC MP later alleged that she was not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha for the entirety of the time allotted to her. "This is a sad day for our democracy, for our republic that a member of Parliament who has been allotted 13 minutes by the Speaker was cut off before I could finish. I had a paragraph left," she said. Taking to Twitter, Moitra wrote: "Such fear, such shamelesness. I had only paragraph left to finish, my alloted time of 13 mins was NOT over."

Later, the Krishnanagar tweeted, "LS Speaker (Om Birla) had allotted AT LEAST 13 mins to me, when confronted in his chamber he claimed he was not in chair hence can't be blamed. When further cornered he said 'It was my greatness that I even allowed you 13 minutes in 1st place'. Unbelievable."

"And who is Chair to interrupt me (taking up MY valuable time) to lecture me on whether I should speak with gussa (anger) or pyar (love)? "None of your business Madam. You can only correct me on rules. You are NOT the moral science teacher of LS," she added.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday expressed anguish over "inappropriate" remarks which found support across party lines.

Birla did not name Moitra and urged members not to cast aspersions on the Chair as it amounted to disrespect of the House.

"It is my appeal not to make any comments against the Chair, neither inside nor outside the House," Birla said.

He said he had taken note of the events that had unfolded in the House on Thursday.

Birla also said it was inappropriate for a member to make comments against the Chair on social media.

The Speaker said it was always his endeavour to ensure every member received adequate time to speak in the House.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the members shared excellent relations with the Speaker and assured cooperation in the future.

Trinamool leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the dignity of the House should be upheld.

Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant said he was shaken at the plight of the Speaker and shared the concerns on the conduct of members voiced by him.

"If we do not respect the Chair, who will respect us," Sawant said.

DMK member A Raja said he had high regards for the chair and any inconvenience caused to the chair was not acceptable.

National Conference member Farooq Abdullah said the Speaker was the honour of the House.

"We look to you as the father of the House. If we have done anything wrong, I apologise on behalf of the members," Abdullah said.

BSP member Ritesh Pandey, NCP member Supriya Sule, BJD member B Mahtab, TDP member Jaydeva Galla, RSP member N K Premachandran also spoke on the occasion.

(With PTI inputs)

Published on: Friday, February 04, 2022, 08:36 PM IST