Kharge's remarks came in the wake of Birla's inaugural address in the House, where he triggered a controversy with his “Emergency” remark.
Published Jun 26, 2024 | 10:33 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 26, 2024 | 10:33 PM
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
In a sharp retort to the newly elected Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s inaugural address, Karnataka Minister for Electronics, IT-BT Priyank Kharge criticized the Speaker’s alignment with the ruling BJP’s stance.
Kharge took to Twitter, questioning the Speaker’s priorities and suggesting a shift towards partisanship in his remarks.
Kharge’s remarks came in the wake of Birla’s inaugural address in the House, where he triggered a controversy with his “Emergency” remark.
One might as well paint the Speaker’s chair saffron.
You know which direction is the Parliament headed when Speaker Om Birla reads the BJP party script as his opening remarks.
As a speaker, the country would love to see him pull up the Government on:
– Paper leaks
– Manipur
-… https://t.co/BADNXFH5LR— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) June 26, 2024
The controversy arose during Om Birla’s address to the House, where he began by calling for unity among members for the nation’s progress. Urging decorum within the parliamentary sessions, Birla drew a distinction between protests within the House and on the streets.
However, the initial moments of bonhomie soon turned into chaos after he mentioned the Emergency imposed by Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Birla condemned the imposition of Emergency in 1975 by Indira Gandhi as a “black chapter in in the history of India, calling it an attack on democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution by Dr BR Ambedkar.
He then called on the members to observe a two-minute silence in the memory of those who lost their lives during the Emergency period.
“भारत के इतिहास में 25 जून 1975 के दिन को काले अध्याय के रूप में जाना जाएगा।”
सदन में 1975 में देश में आपात काल लगाए जाने के निर्णय की कड़े शब्दों में निन्दा की। साथ ही उन सभी लोगों की संकल्प शक्ति की सराहना की जिन्होंने इमरजेंसी का विरोध कर लोकतंत्र की रक्षा का दायित्व निभाया। pic.twitter.com/BdaJwhKT9P
— Om Birla (@ombirlakota) June 26, 2024
Birla’s remarks sparked an uproar from the Opposition benches and the House was subsequently adjourned.
Reacting to Birla’s remarks, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticized the Speaker for what he termed a “divisive” statement, undermining the spirit of consensus on a day meant for cooperation.
Tharoor expressed disappointment over the Speaker’s emphasis on events nearly half a century old during a session intended for fostering parliamentary unity.
“This was not necessary. It was 49 years ago. If you have to go to such lengths on a day on which the message was to be one of cooperation and consensus, that’s unfortunate,” he said.
NDA nominee Om Birla was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker on Wednesday, 26 June, after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adopted through voice votes.
The election of Om Birla marks only the third occasion since Independence where the Lok Sabha has elected a Speaker.
Despite the Congress nominating eight-time MP Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate, Birla secured a decisive victory with the support of 297 MPs from the NDA, against Suresh’s backing of 232 Opposition members.
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj)
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