A group of women Members of Parliament from the Congress party has sent a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, contesting claims he made regarding their conduct. The controversy arose when Speaker Birla suggested that he advised Prime Minister Modi to refrain from attending a session due to concerns that Congress MPs might instigate an “inappropriate incident” near the Prime Minister’s seat.

Strong Rebuttal from Congress

In a detailed three-page letter led by Congress MP S. Jothimani, the women MPs categorically denied the accusations as unfounded and damaging. They expressed that such statements were an attempt to divert attention from the government’s refusal to permit the Leader of the Opposition a chance to speak in the House.

“Our correspondence reflects a deep sense of constitutional responsibility and anguish. It is regrettable that, as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, you have made baseless allegations against women MPs from the Opposition at the behest of the ruling party,” the letter asserts.

Concerns Over Parliamentary Conduct

The letter goes on to discuss the established parliamentary norms where both ruling and opposition parties are granted the opportunity to speak during discussions on significant issues like the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. It mentions that for four consecutive days, the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was systematically denied the opportunity to address the Lok Sabha.

“This is a remarkable and indefensible situation,” the MPs contend. They also highlighted the suspension of eight MPs from the INDIA alliance, alleging that a BJP MP made “vulgar and obscene” remarks about former Prime Ministers without facing repercussions.

Accusations Against the Speaker

The Congress lawmakers criticized the Speaker for allegedly acting under government orders rather than exercising autonomous judgment. They cited an earlier meeting with Birla where he acknowledged a significant error regarding the remarks made by the BJP MP. However, upon their return later, they were informed that the Speaker was awaiting government directives, raising questions about his independence.

“We seek justice and the suspension of the aforementioned BJP MP. Your acknowledgment of a mistake implies you are not making independent decisions, which undermines your authority as Speaker,” the letter stated.

Defending Dignity and Credibility

The MPs expressed that the Speaker’s attribution of their behavior as an attempt to “gherao” the Prime Minister is an affront to their dignity and credibility. They stated, “We are being targeted for persistently challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies and demanding accountability. The Prime Minister’s absence was a manifestation of fear; he lacked the courage to confront the opposition.”

Speaker Om Birla Responds

The controversy intensified following Birla’s remarks concerning the cancellation of the Prime Minister’s scheduled reply during the Lok Sabha session. He clarified that his decision was based on information suggesting that Congress MPs might instigate a disruption near the Prime Minister.

“If such an incident were to occur, it would have severely undermined the democratic traditions of the country. Therefore, I advised the Prime Minister to refrain from attending the House,” Birla stated, prompting further disputes with the Congress party, which has maintained its stance against the allegations.

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