What opposition MPs said after Om Birla was re-elected as Speaker of Lok Sabha
The Kota MP said he will endeavour to give adequate time, opportunity to every member from all sides
Kota BJP MP Om Birla was on Wednesday re-elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha for the second consecutive term. Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and others congratulated Birla, while emphasising the need for a proper voice of opposition in the House.
Gandhi, who was chosen as the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha a day ago, said, “This house represents the voice of India, and you as Speaker are the final arbiter of that voice. Of course, the government has political power, but the opposition also represents the voice of the people, and this time the opposition has significant numbers. We would like to help you, and it is important that cooperation happens based on trust. The question is not how well the House functions, but how much the voice of the people is heard in the House. Silencing the voice of the opposition is not democratic. This election has shown that the country wants the opposition to raise concerns. By allowing the voice of the people of India, you are defending the Constitution of India.”
Yadav also extended his congratulations to the Speaker and stressed that opposition parties should not be discriminated against. “On one hand, you have the experience of five years. On the other hand, you have the experience of both the new and old Houses. The post you are sitting on has a long tradition, and we hope it will function without discrimination, giving equal chance and respect, irrespective of party affiliations. We all expect that there won’t be any expulsions. We expect the House to work on your gestures and not vice versa.”
All India Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, while congratulating the Speaker, accused the ruling government of passing bills without proper discussions.
“The ruling party should accept that the House belongs to the opposition as well. More than 100 MPs were suspended from this House. The PM said many bills were passed under your leadership. We appreciate it, but it is also true that many bills were passed without any discussion. I would humbly request that bills are discussed in a proper manner. We, the opposition, will extend full support so that the House functions smoothly,” the TMC MP said.
Birla expressed his gratitude to all MPs and said, “I extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you for giving me the opportunity to again serve the House as the Speaker. I’m thankful to the PM and other parliamentarians who have shown their trust in me. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to the people of the country who have participated in the 18th Lok Sabha elections and voted in the largest festival of democracy in the world. I’m also thankful to the Election Commission of India, which has successfully completed a free and fair election and reached every corner of the country so that no voter was left without voting.”
“I believe that all the elected members will follow the principles of the House and will gain experience from their seniors too,” Birla said.