Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted a committee to frame rules for “oath-taking and affirmation” for members, and action will be taken to ensure there are no deviations from the process, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said at a press conference on Wednesday, at the end of the first session of the 18th Parliament.
There were several instances of members raising slogans during the oath-taking process in this session. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi raised a slogan hailing Palestine, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bareilly, Chhatra Pal Singh Gangwar, ended his oath by saying, “Jai Hindu Rashtra”.
“Oath or affirmation is a constitutional process and there is no scope of politicising it. It is a solemn occasion and there is a prescribed format to be followed. But this time, we saw several violations. To ensure no repeat of such a thing, Lok Sabha Speaker has decided to constitute a committee to frame rules,” Mr. Rijiju said.
Constant heckling
The Minister also criticised the Opposition for sloganeering during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in the Lok Sabha. “Interjections between a speech are fine, but constant heckling is not. The Congress should think that the Prime Minister is the leader of the country, they should respect the chair,” Mr. Rijiju said. He accused the Congress of “hunting for headlines” which, he said, can not be sustained for long.
His deputy, the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Meghwal, also pointed out that Congress MPs were alone in the well of the House while protesting the Prime Minister’s speech, while their other allies remained in their seats.
“They may call themselves INDI-alliance. But they are not really together. They fight against each other in Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab and other States,” Mr. Rijiju added.
Complaint against LOP
The Minister also warned that action will be taken against members in both Houses for telling lies and misleading the people. Specifically referring to Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, he said that the BJP has already filed a complaint with the Speaker regarding his remarks. “No member is above the Parliamentary rules and no exceptions will be made just because he comes from a privileged family,” he added.
No call has yet been taken on the post of the Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Rijiju said, avoiding questions on the topic.
