Parliament is not for mute: Telangana MP who moved motion against Speaker

Hyderabad: Telangana MP Mallu Ravi, one of the three MPs who introduced the no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, said Parliament was not a place to suppress debates.

Ahead of the second phase of the Budget Session of Parliament, the Congress MP, on Monday, March 9, accused Birla of disallowing Opposition MPs to speak. “We are introducing the no-confidence motion against the Speaker after he stopped the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi from speaking,” Ravi told ANI.

The Telangana MP claimed that Speaker Birla had advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi against attending the Budget Session. “He told the Prime Minister that Opposition women MPs would attack him if he came to the Parliament. PM Modi should have nevertheless come and addressed the Parliament because people want to listen to him,” he said.

“If the Speaker feels that any untoward incident is going to happen, he should direct the marshals to take action and then allow the Prime Minister to speak,” the MP added.

Ravi accused Birla of bias towards MPs from the ruling coalition who go on a rampage, abusing former Indian prime ministers and favour the Bills presented in the Lok Sabha

“Democracy is strengthened when the Opposition is allowed to speak,” the Telangana MP said.

The no-confidence motion moved by Congress MPs has been signed by 118 lawmakers, including Rahul Gandhi, and will be presented in Parliament if permission is granted.