Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Credit: PTI Photo
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday sought to defend the decision to suspend 13 Lok Sabha MPs, who were demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on Parliament security breach, on charges of “inappropriate conduct”, saying the House was compelled to take “strict action” to uphold “Parliamentary decorum and dignity”.
Seeking cooperation and support to run the House as the Winter Session enters the last week on Monday, Birla wrote to the lawmakers saying that security of the complex comes under the jurisdiction of Parliament, virtually dismissing Opposition demand seeking accountability from the government on the security breach that took place on Wednesday.
The letter came as the Opposition, which is angered by the suspension of 13 MPs made it clear that the Parliament is likely to face disruption if Shah does not make a statement on the security breach followed by a short discussion.
Thirteen I.N.D.I.A bloc MPs were suspended on Thursday accusing them of displaying posters and creating ruckus in the House in variance with rules while demanding a statement by Shah on the security breach in Parliament on Wednesday when two youths jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber with smoke canisters in their hands. A 14th MP, who was absent in the House, was named in the suspended list but his name was later removed.
Birla reminded MPs that similar security breaches had taken place in the past as well when visitors carried pistols, shouted slogans, jumped from the gallery and threw leaflets. He recalled that the House displayed “exemplary solidarity and expressed its collective resolve against such incidents”.
Birla said it was “indeed unfortunate” that some MPs and parties were linking the decision of the House to suspend the erring lawmakers to the security breach incident.
“The suspension of MPs is purely to uphold the sanctity of the House,” he said, adding that they had resolved during the time of inauguration of the new Parliament building in May this year that they would refrain from bringing placards inside the House and creating ruckus in the Well of the House.
He said people would not appreciate the “inappropriate conduct and interruptions” and that was the reason why they were unanimous in the need for establishing the highest standards of Parliamentary decorum and dignity. “It was in this context that the House was compelled to take strict action of suspending the MPs,” he said.
Emphasising that the responsibility to formulate a detailed action plan on security taking into account MPs’ suggestions is also the responsibility of Parliament, Birla said it has always been his endeavour to ensure meaningful discussions in the House through constructive dialogue and participation of all MPs.