New Delhi, Jun 26, 2024, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, Jun 26: Senior BJP lawmaker Om Birla was Wednesday re-elected as Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.
The 61-year-old BJP MP from Kota (Rajasthan) was elected by voice vote as the opposition, which fielded Congress MP K Suresh for the post, did not press for division in the House.
After his election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju escorted Birla to the Speaker’s chair.
On his part, Birla, who was the Speaker in the last Lok Sabha, thanked all members of the House for giving him the opportunity to serve as Speaker again and for their trust in him.
He emphasised that his priorities will be enriching parliamentary values and democratic traditions.
Birla highlighted that the 18th Lok Sabha represents the world’s largest celebration of democracy, with over 64 crore voters participating in the elections with great enthusiasm.
He stressed that MPs have a responsibility to collectively fulfill the expectations, hopes, and aspirations of the people effectively.
The Speaker underscored the importance of debate and discussion in the House instead of stalemate, noting that protests should not lower the dignity of the House. He said that the Chair takes strict actions only to maintain the dignity and decorum of the House.
Earlier, congratulating Birla on his re-election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “History is being made today with the re-election of Birla for the second time.” The House looks forward to Birla’s guidance in the next five years, he said.
Modi noted that the previous Lok Sabha, under Birla’s speakership, achieved record productivity of 97 per cent, which increased public faith in parliamentary democracy.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi also congratulated Birla, affirming that the House represents the voice of the people. He assured Birla of the opposition’s support in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House, emphasising that cooperation is based on trust and that opposition voices should be heard.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav expressed hope that the opposition would receive ample opportunities to voice their concerns, and underlined the Speaker’s role in maintaining impartiality and respecting both the treasury bench and opposition members.
TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi were among leaders of various other parties who congratulated Birla.
Shortly after his election as the Lok Sabha speaker, Birla read out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency and termed the decision by then prime minister Indira Gandhi an attack on the Constitution, triggering a wave of protests by the opposition in the House.
His reference to the Emergency also saw a face-off between the government and the opposition in the first session of the lower house.
"This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. We appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting India's democracy," Birla said amid vociferous protests by opposition MPs, including from the Congress, who were on their feet, raising slogans against the reference to the Emergency.
"June 25, 1975, will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India. On this day, then prime minister Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in the country and attacked the Constitution made by Babasaheb Ambedkar," the Speaker said, and urged members to observe silence for a while before adjourning the proceedings for the day.