Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also announced that real-time AI systems such as, such as Sansad Bhashini, will soon enable MPs to communicate in their native languages. File
| Photo Credit: Allen Egenuse J.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
| Photo Credit: ANI

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead a parliamentary delegation to the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly being held in Geneva next week.

Besides Mr. Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chair Harivansh and some members from both Houses of Parliament are attending the event.

Mr. Birla will address the Assembly on the theme “harnessing science, technology and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future.” The Lok Sabha Speaker will also participate in the meetings of IPU’s Governing Council, the highest decision-making body of the organisation.

An official statement said the members of Indian delegation will take part in the meetings of its Executive Committee, the four Standing Committees and working sessions during the conference.

Mr. Birla will also address the members of Indian diaspora in Geneva on Monday (October 14, 2024).

The IPU has 180 member parliaments and 15 associate members. The members include parliaments from countries like China, India, and Indonesia, Cabo Verde, San Marino, and Palau.

New Delhi:

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday urged parliamentarians to conduct themselves with dignity and decorum as he stressed the need to foster an environment of dialogue and cooperation while participating in the proceedings of the House.

Addressing the valedictory function of an orientation programme for newly-elected members, Mr Birla also urged them to be abreast of the rules and the procedure of the House and participate in debates with complete information about issues.

“The established traditions and practices within the House are intended to foster meaningful and productive discussions and the new members should further strengthen that spirit,” the Lok Sabha Speaker said.

The Speaker’s advice came against the backdrop of a tumultuous Monsoon Session of Parliament where he had to remind members cutting across party lines, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, to read the rules and procedures at least once before coming to the House.

Highlighting India’s position as the world’s largest democracy, Mr Birla urged the members to uphold the highest standards of democracy.

“Actions of the members are observed not just within India but globally and, therefore, they should conduct themselves with dignity, decency and decorum,” he said.

Stressing the importance of dialogue and discussion in democracy, Mr Birla noted that for a healthy and strong democracy, there was a need to foster an environment of dialogue and cooperation.

The Speaker also asked members to refer to digital and print resources available in the parliament library on a continuous basis. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Addressing an orientation programme for newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs), Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Monday said that it is our responsibility to increase the prestige of our country’s democracy in front of the world.

Emphasizing the global prestige of India’s democratic institutions, Mr Birla urged MPs to be mindful of their conduct within the House.

“It is our responsibility to increase the prestige of our country’s democracy in front of the world. Whatever the incident is there are certain things that you (MPs) need to be careful about. You shouldn’t sit and pass comments when you walk into the House, uphold the decorum of Parliament,” he said while making an address to the elected MPs.

“Stand up when your name is called…speaker never differentiates according to party and ideology, for a speaker, all are same and all ideologies are the same,” he said.

In a post on X, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said that the awareness programme for MPs was organized to make the MPs understand the various aspects of parliamentary work.

“They will learn about the rules and procedures of Parliament, motions, resolutions, work of committees etc. Along with this, they will gain knowledge of the procedural measures to present their views in the House,” Om Birla said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the Second Session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which commenced on July 22, 2024, concluded on Friday.

Delivering a valedictory address on the conclusion of the second Session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla informed that 15 sittings were held during the Session which lasted for around 115 hours.

Mr Birla informed that 86 starred questions were answered orally during the Session. A total of 400 matters of urgent public importance were raised by the Members during the Zero Hour and a total of 358 matters were taken up under Rule 377.

Mr Birla further informed that 12 Government Bills were introduced and four Bills were passed, during the session.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The re-election of Om Birla to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post – a formality given the ruling BJP-led coalition always had the numbers – was followed by a flurry of congratulatory messages, and appeals to the Kota MP to run an impartial House – from opposition leaders, including the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi.

The opposition MPs – who backed the Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh – struck several common notes, including urging Mr Birla, a three-time BJP MP from Rajasthan’s Kota, to ensure impartiality in conduct of the House and to allow their members time to voice their concerns and criticisms.

The reference – made overtly by some – was to the shocking mass suspension of MPs last year.

READ | Be Impartial, Defend Constitution”: Opposition MPs To Om Birla

Nearly two-third of the opposition was ejected by Mr Birla amid vociferous protests on several issues, including a security breach that month. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor – re-elected to the 18th Lok Sabha from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram – called the suspensions a “betrayal of democracy”.

Today, after a rare election for the post of the Speaker – traditionally a unanimous pick to underscore bonhomie on conduct of the House – the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi – was the first opposition leader to speak, and he immediately took a jab at the new two-time Speaker.

READ | Rahul Gandhi Debuts As Leader of Opposition With Sharp Message

“I am confident you will allow us to speak. The question is not how efficiently the House is run… it is how much of India’s voice is being heard. So the idea you can run the House efficiently – by silencing the voice of the opposition – is a non-democratic idea, and this election has shown the people expect the opposition to defend the Constitution,” Mr Gandhi, now Leader of the Opposition, said.

Mr Gandhi contested and won the Congress’ Raebareli bastion in Uttar Pradesh and its stronghold of Wayanad in Kerala. He will surrender the latter and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the bypoll.

The Congress leader was followed by Akhilesh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party is a member of the INDIA bloc and the third-largest party in the Lok Sabha, thanks to a stunning show in Uttar Pradesh.

“We expect the voice of the opposition will not be crushed… we expect there will be no more expulsions,” Mr Yadav said, urging Om Birla to ensure equality in treatment of all MPs.

READ | “Hope Suspension Of MPs Will…”: Akhilesh Yadav To Speaker

“We hope you will give equal respect to every MP… we will stand by all your just decisions (but) expect it won’t be just the opposition kept under check,” Mr Yadav, who won the Kannauj seat, said.

The Trinamool’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay and the DMK’s TR Baalu made similar appeals.

Mr Bandyopadhyay – whose party demurred yesterday over the nomination of K Suresh – said the functioning of the House depended on maintaining parliamentary democratic practice.

“It is my firm belief, so far as parliamentary democratic practice is concerned, that the House belongs to the opposition. This attitude needs to be adopted by the ruling party,” he said.

He referred to last year’s mass suspension of MPs and called it “not desirable”.

Mr Baalu, meanwhile, reminded the new Speaker that he does not, now, belong to any party.

“You might have been elected by my BJP friends (but) there can now be no politics between you and the powers. You have to treat the opposition and the ruling party the same. Kindly be impartial,” he said.

PM’s Praise For Speaker

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his congratulations to Mr Birla and declared the Kota lawmaker will play a significant role in ensuring the House meets the expectations of the people.

READ | PM Praises Speaker Om Birla: “Key Bills Passed Under Your Leadership”

“I congratulate you on behalf of the entire House and look forward to your guidance for the next five years,” the Prime Minister said, adding “Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy.”

This was only the third election for a Lok Sabha Speaker since independence.

Voting took place after the Congress forced a contest and fielded eight-time MP K Suresh. The numbers, though, were always on Mr Birla’s side; he had 297 votes to the opposition pick’s 232.

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New Delhi:

Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh – a late entrant in the Lok Sabha Speaker race – has accused the government of “breaking convention” regarding the naming of an opposition leader as the Deputy Speaker of the House. “We tried for a consensus but the ruling party… they are not ready. Consensus means, if we support Speaker, then they should give Deputy’s post to opposition,” he told NDTV.

Mr Suresh was also asked about the futility of contesting an election for the Speaker’s position – given s/he is elected by simple majority and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance can count, potentially on over 300 votes. “Numbers are not the point. Winning or losing is a different matter.”

“The point is, there is a convention in Lok Sabha… a convention the government is breaking. There is a system for the Speaker’s post (referring to the opposition’s argument that the Deputy Speaker needs to be from a non-ruling party to ensure balance) and that has been broken…” he told NDTV.

Mr Suresh also rubbished the BJP-led NDA’s claim the opposition is indulging in “pressure tactics”.

“We are not pressurising… we are only asking for our right. Deputy Speaker is the opposition’s right… that is all we are doing. If they are not ready to do even that…” he said shrugging his shoulders.

Mr Suresh also referred to the row over the Pro Tem Speaker’s post, which the Congress and the opposition had expected would be handed to him given his status as one of the senior-most MPs.

There was drama in Parliament this morning after the BJP-led NDA government reached out to the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc to build consensus to re-appoint Kota MP Om Birla as Speaker.

READ | Government vs Opposition On Speaker, First Contest In Decades

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met INDIA bloc leaders, including the Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, and were the opposition wanted the Deputy Speaker’s post.

READ | In Speaker Row, Rajnath Singh’s Call, Congress’ Deputy Reply

Sources, however, told NDTV the BJP said a decision on his deputy would be taken later.

The opposition, however, refused to play ball and, as the clock ticked down to the noon deadline, whispers emerged that the Congress’ K Suresh would be offered as an alternative to Om Birla.

And so it happened; as visuals showed senior leaders from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance accompanying Mr Birla to file his papers, it was confirmed that Mr Suresh had submitted his name.

This means, for the first time in decades, there will be a formal election to pick the Speaker.

READ | Om Birla To Be Speaker Again, BJP-Led Govt Sticks To Continuity

Meanwhile, in the inevitable back-and-forth that followed the opposition’s decision, BJP sources told NDTV efforts were made to build consensus but the opposition responded with “pressure politics”.

Sources said the Congress’ KC Venugopal and TR Baalu of Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK insisted on a commitment from the BJP – one to the effect the Deputy Speaker would be an opposition MP.

Earlier, while the INDIA bloc was waiting on the BJP’s response, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi referred to media reports that quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the opposition to work “constructively”.

“Today newspapers reported that PM Modi said the opposition should cooperate constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and asked him to extend support… entire opposition said we will support but convention is Deputy Speaker should be from our side. Rajnath Singh said he would call back… but he has not yet…PM is asking for cooperation but our leader is getting insulted…”

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The Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc on Tuesday nominated Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-time MP from Kerala, for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, triggering an election for the top parliamentary post for the first time since 1946.

Mr Suresh’s nomination underlines the tense stand-off between the INDIA group and the ruling coalition led by the BJP, which had approached the opposition – Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were so tasked – to build consensus to re-appoint Kota MP Om Birla as the Speaker.

The INDIA bloc said it was willing to back Mr Birla, but required the deputy’s post to be allotted to a member of the opposition, in keeping with parliamentary tradition.

However, there was no response from the BJP till 11.50 am – 10 minutes before the deadline for filing papers – following which news broke that the opposition would nominate Mr Suresh.

Sources said the BJP indicated a decision on the Deputy Speaker’s post would be taken at a later stage, and once again called on the opposition to support Mr Birla.

The stand-off between the new BJP-led coalition and the opposition comes 24 hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined the need for consensus to run the government and the country

New Delhi:

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday raised the national flag at the new Parliament building in New Delhi.

Flanked by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, he hoisted the flag atop the “Gaja Dwar” of the new Parliament building.

#WATCH | Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar hoists the national flag at Gaj Dwar, the New Building of Parliament. pic.twitter.com/dwlGNDfjGq

— ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

The hoisting ceremony takes place a day before the five-day Parliament session begins Monday which may see parliamentary proceedings shift from the old to the adjacent new building.

Earlier, Dhankhar and Birla were separately accorded a guard of honour by the CRPF’s Parliament Duty Group.

“It is a historic moment, Bharat is witnessing epochal change. The world is in total recognition of might, power and contribution of Bharat,” Dhankhar told reporters after the ceremony.

Union ministers, including Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi and Arjun Ram Meghwal, attended the ceremony where leaders from other political parties were also present.

Dhankhar and Birla interacted with the guests after the event as a CRPF band played in the background.

Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had said on Saturday that he would not be able to attend the flag hoisting function and expressed disappointment over getting the invite “quite late”.

He wrote to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody, saying that he received the invite for the function only in the late evening of September 15.

The Congress Working Committee is meeting in Hyderabad.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)