New Delhi, March 10 – Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, stated on Tuesday that a member of the panel of chairpersons could preside over the Lok Sabha when a resolution to remove the Speaker is being considered. In response, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi stated that "in the future, when there will be research on parliamentary records, statistics will show that Kiren Rijiju was the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, who most frequently interrupted the Opposition."
This exchange occurred as Gaurav Gogoi raised procedural and constitutional objections in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing discussion on the resolution seeking a no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla.
Participating in the debate, Gogoi cited parliamentary rules and said that the Speaker should not preside over proceedings when a resolution seeking his removal from office is under consideration.
He questioned how it was decided that Jagdambika Pal would preside over the House during the discussion on the resolution, given that the Speaker appoints a panel of chairpersons.
Rijiju interrupted and said, "Jagdambika Pal, a member of the panel of chairpersons, can preside over the Lok Sabha when a resolution for Speaker's removal is taken up."
Reacting to this, Gogoi said, "In the future, when there will be research on parliamentary records, statistics will show that Kiren Rijiju was the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, who most frequently interrupted the Opposition."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervened and said, "I agree with you, Kiren Rijiju, as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, you have most frequently interrupted the Opposition. But we have never seen such an irresponsible Opposition."
Gogoi reiterated his earlier point that the reason a chairperson from the panel selected by the Speaker presides during such debates is precisely because of the Speaker’s authority.
He argued that allowing a panel member appointed by the Speaker to preside during the debate on a motion against the Speaker amounted to a "violation of the Constitution."
He also pointed out that in the last three instances when a resolution seeking the removal of a Lok Sabha Speaker had been brought, there had been a Deputy Speaker in the House. However, he said that the current government had not appointed a Deputy Speaker.
Gogoi further clarified that the Opposition did not have any "personal problem" with Om Birla, but said that the issue concerned the functioning of the Chair and the manner in which the House was being run.
He added that even though the Opposition INDIA Bloc has nearly 200 members in the Lok Sabha, the post of Deputy Speaker has remained vacant, and said that the country should know how the House is functioning in such circumstances.