Congress Women MPs Pen Strong Letter Accusing Speaker of Defamation
A group of women Members of Parliament from the Congress party has submitted a strongly worded three-page letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing him of making "false and defamatory allegations" against them. The controversy stems from Birla's public statement that he advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to attend the House due to concerns that Congress MPs might create an "inappropriate incident" near the PM's seat.
Letter Details and Constitutional Concerns
In the letter, Congress MP S. Jothimani and other women parliamentarians outright rejected the Speaker's charge, describing it as an attempt to deflect from what they termed the government's refusal to allow Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak during the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. "We write this letter with deep anguish and a strong sense of constitutional responsibility," the letter states. "It is extremely unfortunate that you, as the Hon'ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, have been forced by the ruling party to make false, baseless, and defamatory allegations against women Members of Parliament belonging to the Opposition."
The MPs emphasized that established parliamentary convention mandates both the ruling party and opposition be allowed to speak before the Prime Minister replies. However, they noted that for four consecutive days, Rahul Gandhi had been deliberately denied this opportunity in the Lok Sabha, calling this "unprecedented and indefensible."
Allegations of Bias and Suspension of MPs
The letter further claimed that eight MPs from the INDIA alliance were suspended at the government's behest, while a BJP MP was permitted to make "vulgar and obscene" remarks about former Prime Ministers without facing consequences. The Congress MPs accused the Speaker of acting on government instructions rather than exercising independent authority, raising serious questions about his role.
"When we met you, we demanded justice and the suspension of the above-mentioned BJP MP, you acknowledged that a grave mistake had occurred and asked us to return at 4 pm," the letter stated. "Upon meeting you again, you stated that you were awaiting the government's response regarding the issue, indicating that you are no longer the decision maker in such matters."
Response to Speaker's Claims and Dignity Concerns
The MPs described Birla's allegation that they had "gheraoed" the Prime Minister as an assault on their dignity and credibility. "We are being targeted simply because we have consistently fought against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's anti-people government and demanded accountability from him," the letter added. "His absence from the House was not due to any threat from us, it was an act of fear. He did not have the courage to face the opposition."
This letter follows Speaker Om Birla's explanation for cancelling the Prime Minister's scheduled reply in the Lok Sabha, a charge the Congress has rejected. Birla had stated, "When the Prime Minister was supposed to respond to the President's address in the House, I received information that several Congress MPs could have created an inappropriate incident near the Prime Minister's chair... If such an incident had occurred, it would have torn apart the democratic traditions of the country. To prevent this, I requested the Prime Minister not to come to the House."
The escalating tension highlights ongoing parliamentary disputes and concerns over procedural fairness, with the Congress women MPs firmly standing by their accusations against the Speaker.
