Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised the Opposition during the debate on the no-confidence resolution against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
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NEW DELHI — BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday criticised the Opposition during the debate on the no-confidence resolution against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, cautioning that such a parliamentary instrument should not be misused for political or personal motives.
Participating in the discussion in the Lok Sabha, Prasad said that the mechanism of moving a motion against the Speaker should not be turned into a tool to settle political scores or to satisfy the “ego of some leader of some group.”
“Let the instrument of opposition against the Speaker not be weaponised to satisfy the ego of some leader of some group. That is very important,” he said while addressing the House.
The senior BJP leader also took a swipe at Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, raising questions about his conduct both inside Parliament and during his visits abroad. Referring to Congress leader K.C. Venugopal, Prasad remarked that the LoP needed guidance on parliamentary conduct.
“Venugopal ji should teach something to Rahul Gandhi about the conduct of the LoP,” he said.
He slammed the LoP for reading out the excerpts from an "unpublished memoir" of a former Army Chief. The Opposition, however, started sloganeering over Prasad's remarks.
Reflecting on the history of Parliament, Prasad said the institution had faced many turbulent moments but had consistently managed to uphold its dignity and rise above the crises.
“This Parliament has seen several ups and downs; however, every time the institution touched new heights,” he said.
He cited past controversies to underline his point, recalling incidents when Members of Parliament had been expelled for misconduct.
“Yesterday, they all discussed that 11 MPs were expelled from the House because they took money to ask questions, and black chilli was also tossed around in the House. However, the Parliament always restored its dignity,” Prasad said.
Prasad also referred to what he described as the “painful time” during the Emergency, accusing the Congress of undermining democratic institutions at that time.
“All the Opposition members were in jail, and the tenure of the House was increased from five to six years in the absence of several top leaders. The privileges under Article 105 were snatched away,” he said.
He further spoke about Justice H.R. Khanna, who had dissented in a landmark ruling during the Emergency regarding the suspension of fundamental rights.
“Brave judge H.R. Khanna, who had ruled that the fundamental rights of the people cannot be taken away during the Emergency, was praised for his dissent across the world. However, this very Congress party did not let him become the Chief Justice for even 45 days. These people talk about democracy?” Prasad said.
The BJP MP also recalled the condition of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan during the Emergency, saying he suffered severe health problems while in detention.
“Jayaprakash Narayan was diagnosed with severe, chronic kidney failure in October 1975 while he was detained at PGI Chandigarh during the Emergency and had to undergo lifelong dialysis,” he said.
Prasad said that even after Narayan was admitted to Jaslok Hospital in Bombay for treatment, restrictions were placed on him.
“While receiving treatment at Jaslok Hospital, Bombay, doctors had said that it was necessary for him to sit in the sun for an hour every day. However, it was not allowed because people might see him and come out in his support. After some legal process, he was finally allowed to sit in the sun for an hour,” Prasad said.
As Prasad made these remarks, Opposition MPs, including members of the Samajwadi Party, began raising slogans in the House.
Responding to the disruptions, he said, “Now who will tell them that even Mulayam Singh Yadav was in jail during that time?”
The debate over the motion against the Speaker had already sparked sharp exchanges in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, particularly over who would preside over the House in the absence of Speaker Om Birla.
The Opposition had argued that members of the panel who preside over proceedings are nominated by the Speaker himself and, therefore, should not chair the House during discussions related to the motion against him.
Addressing Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair at the time, Prasad defended the constitutional provisions governing such situations.
“Every time it was asked how the Chair can preside? Who chose you?” he said, before referring to Articles 93, 94, 95 and 96 of the Constitution.
“Under the Constitution, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected. A Speaker can also be removed through a no-confidence motion. Yesterday, several members asked why you are sitting there. I would like to say that it is because the Constitution allows you to,” Prasad said.
During his speech, Prasad also read out certain excerpts from the Lok Sabha rule book to underline the procedural framework governing the functioning of the House.