Parliament session Day 3 Highlights: Re-elected as Speaker, Om Birla brings resolution on Emergency

The House stands adjourned for the day, and will reassemble tomorrow for President’s address. 

Speaker Om Birla dubs Emergency as a black day in the history of India. He says the House condemns the imposition of Emergency. 

As the Speaker recalls Emergency Days and mentions Indira Gandhi’s name, Congress members object to it. Treasury Bench members counter them with “Shame! Shame!” slogans.

Opposition members begin sloganeering.

Having secured the numbers to form the government, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had administered the oath of office on June 9.

The present Council of Ministers consists of the Prime Minister, 30 Cabinet Ministers, 5 Ministers of State (MoS) with independent charge and 36 MoS.

Here is a brief profile on the Council of Ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi now introduces his Union Council of Ministers based on the order of seniority. He starts with Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister. 

As Dharmendra Pradhan is introduced as Education Minister, the Opposition shouts about NEET and paper leaks. 

Om Birla thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ministers, and all the MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha for electing him as the Lok Sabha Speaker for second consecutive term. 

Mr. Birla congratulates the people of the country as well as the Election Commission for the smooth conduct of the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. 

“People’s aspirations have increased in the last decade and we must strive to fulfil those aspirations and expectations,” Mr. Birla said. 

“281 new members have been elected in the 18th Lok Sabha and I congratulate them. I hope they’ll gain from the experiences of the senior leaders,” Mr. Birla said. 

“I hope that in the 18th Lok Sabha, we make laws that help the poorest of poor,” he said. 

“I’ll strive to give appropriate time and opportunity to every member of the House. All the opinions should be placed in the House. But the country comes ahead of political leanings,” he said. “I’ll try to give opportunity to everyone, including the smaller parties and I hope that everyone will help me with a smooth conduct of the House,” the Speaker said.

Congratulating Om Birla for being elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan asked the Opposition to retrospect. “In several Opposition ruled States, posts of Speaker, Deputy Speaker are with ruling parties,” Mr. Paswan said. 

He also asked Opposition to look within too while questioning the conduct of the Treasury Benches.

Asaduddin Owaisi congratulated Om Birla and requested the Speaker to give more time to smaller parties. “I hope a Deputy Speaker will be elected to ease some burden from you,” the AIMIM MP said. 

“I congratulate you on behalf of original NCP,” said NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule.

She talked of common objective of the Treasury and Opposition Benches to run the House smoothly for the sake of the country.

Before Ms. Sule, Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT) spoke and congratulated Mr. Birla. He talked about the criminal laws being passed, giving justice to farmers and unemployed youth.

Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay also congratulated Om Birla. The TMC leader says the House functions better with a Leader of Opposition. He also condemns the mass suspension of MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha and calls for the Bills to be discussed properly before being passed. “Opposition is in better strength in this House,” he affirms. 

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav congratulated Om Birla. “I associate with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition in wishing you well,” he said.

“The post you are occupying has a rich legacy and we believe that there would be no discrimination. You will be given equal opportunity to every party,” Mr. Yadav said. “You should not only control the Opposition but also the ruling party,” he said.

“Speaker sir, I would like to congratulate you. This House represents the voice of India’s people and you are the final arbiter,” Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said while congratulating Om Birla for becoming the Speaker of the Lower House.

“Speaker sir, the Opposition would like to assist you in doing your work,” he said. 

“We want the House functions well and often,” Mr. Gandhi said, adding: “The question is how efficiently is run but the question is how much of the voice of the Opposition is allowed.”

Om Birla’s work as parliamentarian should be inspiration for new Lok Sabha members, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while congratulating Mr. Birla for being elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker. 

“I congratulate you on behalf of entire House and look forward to your guidance for next five years,” Mr. Modi said. 

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi shook hands in the well of the House after Om Birla got elected as the Speaker of the Lower House. Mr. Gandhi walked across the aisle to congratulate Mr. Birla. 

Thereafter, both Mr. Modi and Mr. Gandhi escorted Mr. Birla to the Chair.

Congratulating Om Birla, Prime Minister Modi said he hopes Mr. Birla would guide the House in the future as he did in the past five years.

Mr. Modi mentions Balram Jhakhar, who had also completed two terms as a Speaker in the House.

Mr. Birla has been elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha after voice vote. Mr. Birla has assumed the Chair of the Speaker.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju thanked the pro-tem Speaker, the Lok Sabha secretariat and all the members for the smooth passage.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant moved the motion to elect K. Suresh as the Lok Sabha Speaker. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh second the motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to elect Om Birla as the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Other leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, HAM chief Jitan Ram Manji and former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, also support the motion to elect Mr. Birla as the Speaker.

Proceedings of the House on the third day of the Parliament session began in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. 

Newly elected MPs who were yet to take the oath in the Lower House are taking the oath. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday appealed to the Congress party again not to contest the election of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and said that it is better for all that the Leader of the House be elected unanimously.

“It is better for all of us to elect the Speaker unanimously. I think we still have time and we will make one more appeal to the Congress party but if we are pushed into the election, we are prepared. Give it a thought again,” Mr. Rijiju said.

“We are all colleagues in the House and we have to work together. When we make an offer to them (Opposition), we expect that the offer will be accepted gracefully but that has not been done. We will appeal to them again. There is a simple way to elect the speaker unanimously. We do not believe in making preconditions for the post of Speaker. Let us concentrate and elect the Speaker and then we can discuss the other issues later,” Mr. Rijiju said.

- ANI

With just hours left before the poll to elect the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that the election is taking place due to the BJP’s lust for power and its intention to bulldoze democracy.

Mr. Tiwari also asserted that they (opposition) will not let the BJP win just like that but will raise their voices for the democratic tradition.

“BJP is responsible for this. The elections are taking place due to its lust for power and its intentions to bulldoze democracy. Had the traditions and norms been followed, the Speaker post would have gone to the BJP unopposed and the Deputy Speaker post would have gone to the Congress and INDIA Alliance. But the BJP doesn’t believe in democracy. It broke that tradition. so this will be our democratic protest. We will not let them win just like that, we will raise our voice for the democratic tradition,” he said.

- ANI

After being nominated as the INDIA bloc’s candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker post against National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate OM Birla, Congress MP K. Suresh alleged that the government “compelled” the INDIA bloc to contest the election as their reply was not satisfactory over the issue.

“The government compelled the INDIA Alliance to contest the election. We don’t want to contest the election against the Speaker, but when the government approached INDIA Alliance, especially the Congress party leadership, we asked about the Deputy Speaker post. At that time, we were not given any assurance. Yesterday, too, they didn’t give any assurance by 11.30 am. They said, First, you support the Speaker election, and after that, we can discuss the Deputy Speaker. So, that reply was not satisfactory. So, our leaders decided to contest the Speaker election,” said K. Suresh.

“This election is the adamant stand of the NDA leadership. Otherwise, it could have been avoided. But, they are not ready to cooperate with the opposition; they are not ready to give a chance to the opposition party for the Deputy Speaker post. That is why, this election is happening today. But this election’s full responsibility is the NDA leadership’s,” he added further.

- ANI

Congress MP K.L. Sharma who took oath as Member of Parliament from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency after defeating Bharatiya Janata Party’s Smriti Irani said that the Opposition INDIA bloc is strong at present and will oppose any wrongdoing by the ruling party.

“They are not abiding by the Constitution. As the INDIA bloc is strong right now, we will oppose the wrong...,” K.L. Sharma said while speaking to ANI regarding the Lok Sabha Speaker post.

Mr. Sharma pointed out that the post of Deputy Speaker has been conventionally given to an MP from the Opposition and hence the ruling party should abide by it.“It is the tradition of a healthy democracy to give the Deputy Speaker post to the Opposition. So, they should do it,” he said.

- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will move the motion today in the Lok Sabha to choose Om Birla as the Speaker of the lower house amid a tussle for the post with the Opposition’s INDIA bloc.

In today’s list of business, the remaining MPs who have not already taken the oath or made the affirmation to do so will sign the roll of members. 

Then, in what promises to be a stormy session, PM Modi will bring the motion that Om Birla, a member of the Lok Sabha, be chosen as the Speaker of the House. Rajnath Singh will second the motion.

Thereafter, Union Ministers like Lallan Singh, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Amit Shah, Chirag Paswan, HD Kumaraswamy, and Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu will also move the motion to choose Mr. Birla as the Speaker. 

As the Opposition has also fielded K. Suresh as its candidate against Mr. Birla, the election for the same will take place in the Lok Sabha when it resumes today. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria, and NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule will move the motion that Mr. Suresh be chosen as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.

- ANI