‘Act of fear’: Women Congress MPs write to LS Speaker OM Birla, reject ‘threat’ to PM Modi charge | India News
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
New Delhi: A group of Congress women MPs have written a scathing letter to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birlaaccused him of making “false and defamatory allegations” against them.The controversy erupted after Birla publicly said he advised the Prime Minister not to come to the House due to fears that Congress MPs might create an “inappropriate incident” near the Prime Minister’s seat.In a three-page letter addressed to Birla, Congress MP S. Jothimony and other female MPs rejected the allegation outright, calling it an attempt to deflect from what they described as the government’s refusal to allow the opposition leader to speak.“We are writing this letter with deep anguish and a strong sense of constitutional responsibility. It is extremely regrettable that you, as Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, have been forced to make false, baseless and defamatory allegations against women MPs of the opposition ruling party,” the letter said.“During the discussion of the motion of thanks in the President’s address, the established parliamentary convention mandates that both the ruling party and the opposition be allowed to speak, after which the prime minister replies. Yet, for the past four days, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, has been deliberately denied this opportunity. This is unexpected and added to the Lok Sabha.”The letter also claimed that eight All India MPs were suspended at the behest of the government, while a BJP MP was allowed to make “vulgar and obscene” comments about former prime ministers without facing any consequences.Congress MPs also accused the Speaker of acting at the behest of the government instead of exercising independent authority.“When we met you, we demanded justice and the sacking of the above-mentioned BJP MP, you admitted that a serious mistake had been made and asked us to come back at 4 pm. After meeting you again, you said that you are waiting for the government’s response on the matter, indicating that you are no longer the decision-maker in such matters. This raises serious questions about your authority as Speaker of the House,” the letter said.MPs described Birla’s allegations that they had “besieged” the prime minister as a blow to their dignity and credibility.“We are being targeted because we have consistently fought against the anti-people government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded accountability from him. His absence in the House was not due to any fraud on our part, it was an act of fear. He did not have the courage to face the opposition,” it added.The letter followed a statement by Speaker Om Birla explaining why the prime minister’s scheduled reply in the Lok Sabha was cancelled, a charge rejected by the Congress.“When the Prime Minister was supposed to respond to the President’s address in the House, I received information that several Congress MPs may have caused an inappropriate incident near the Prime Minister’s chair… If such an incident had happened, it would have shattered the country’s democratic tradition. To prevent this, I have requested the Prime Minister not to come to the House,” Birla said.
