Newly elected Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said that he would not allow chanting of religious slogans or the heckling that greeted some Opposition MPs during the oath-taking in the parliament.
“I don’t think Parliament is the place for sloganeering, for showing placards, or for coming to the well. There is a road for that where they can go and demonstrate. Whatever people want to say here, whatever allegations they have, however they want to attack the government they can, but they can’t come to the gallery and do all this,’’ Birla said after being elected the speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha unopposed in an interview with a national daily.
He added that he will try to run the parliament within set rules.
“Jai Shri Ram slogans, Jai Bharat, Vande Mataram, I said this was an old issue. During a debate, it is different. Every time, there are different circumstances. What are the circumstances is decided by the person sitting in the speaker’s chair,” he said.
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Om Birla said that the parliament is a temple of democracy and he has requested all parties to maintain the decorum of the House. He added that the parliamentary proceedings should be an example to the world as is our democracy.
Birla, a two-term MP from Kota in Rajasthan, was elected unanimously after the Opposition decided against fielding their own candidate.
“All parties have reposed faith in me, so it will be my duty to keep their faith,” Birla said. “Everyone has the right to express themselves, the government has to be more responsible since they have such a large majority. They should answer all questions. I have seen government always accepts the demands of a debate when asked for it.’’