Speaker's two-minute silence during Emergency triggers protests and adjournment
Speaker's two-minute silence during Emergency triggers protests and adjournment
The election also saw a rare moment of cordiality when Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi approached Om Birla and PM Modi to congratulate them.
Smiles and handshakes ensued between the rivals today following Om Birla's re-election as Rajya Sabha Speaker. But this rare moment of harmonious conviction did not last long and chaos returned after the newly elected Speaker referred to the "dark days of Emergency" and called for two minutes of silence.
Shortly after three-time MP Birla was re-elected by voice vote, Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi walked up to him and congratulated him. Mr Gandhi also shook hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two politicians then accompanied Birla to the Speaker's bench along with Parliamentary Secretary Kiren Rijiju.
The Prime Minister congratulated Birla and said his "kind smile brings happiness to the entire House". "It is an honour that you have been elected to this Speaker for the second time", he said. Opposition leaders also congratulated the Speaker but added a strong message that the Opposition must also be allowed to speak as they represent the voice of the people.
"The issue is not how efficiently the House is run. "The question is how much of India's voice will be heard. The idea that Parliament can be run efficiently by silencing the voices of the opposition is undemocratic. And this election shows that the people of India expect the opposition to uphold the Constitution," said Gandhi, who is now Leader of the Opposition. In their congratulatory speeches, several opposition leaders also referred to the mass suspension of MPs in the last term. In his address to Parliament, Birla said all MPs must work together for the good of the country. He appealed to MPs to maintain decorum in Parliament and said there must remain a distinction between protests at the sangsad (house) and sadak (street). He then asked MPs to observe two minutes of silence to mark 50 years of the "dark days of Emergency". This prompted protests from the Opposition benches, leading to the adjournment of the session.
A BJP official said this year marks the 50th anniversary of Emergency. "It is our collective duty to create awareness about every historical event. "Constitutional awareness will increase only if the younger generation learns about democracy," the source said.
Commenting on the Speaker's emergency speech, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said it was "unfortunate" that the Speaker had undermined the spirit of consensus with his "divisive" remarks. "There was no need for that. That was 49 years ago. It is unfortunate if we have to go that far on a day when the message should be cooperation and consensus," he said.
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June 26, 2024 at 07:20PM
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