Got to know Cong MPs would reach PM seat, create incident, so asked him not to come to House: Speaker Om Birla

Deploring the behaviour of the Congress MPs and the use of a banner inside the House, Birla said, “The behaviour of some members yesterday was unprecedented. Never did such a thing happen. The Opposition members’ behaviour in the Speaker’s chamber was a black spot.”

“When the Leader of the House was scheduled to speak on the Honourable President’s address, I got credible information that several members from the Congress can create an unprecedented incident after reaching the Honourable Prime Minister’s seat,” he said.

“I saw such a scene in the House. If this incident had taken place, such an unpleasant scene would have destroyed the nation’s democratic traditions. To prevent this, I requested the Honourable Prime Minister that he should not come to the House,” he said.

“It is sad that the Leader of the House cannot speak in the House. But I am thankful to him that he accepted my request… If you do not follow decorum, the House won’t run… The country has seen how the women members reached the treasury benches yesterday. You can speak what you wish to, but such behaviour is not acceptable. The House stands adjourned for the day,” Birla said.

Outside the House, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra rejected the charge that her colleagues wanted to cause any harm to the Prime Minister. “It is an absolute lie. There is no question of anybody raising a hand on the Prime Minister, trying to hurt him or any such thing. There is no question. So, it is absolutely wrong for anybody to say that there was any such plan. There was no such plan,” she said.

“But if you are going to allow your members to quote books, talk nonsense, the Opposition benches are going to protest. I am sorry, the Prime Minister is hiding behind the Speaker. They are making the Speaker say all this because yesterday he did not have the guts to come to the House. Because three women were standing before his bench… what nonsense is this,” Vadra said.

Manickam Tagore, Congress MP and party whip in Lok Sabha, echoed Vadra: “This Prime Minister is afraid to hear the Leader of Opposition and afraid to come to the Lok Sabha and afraid to speak during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. To cover his fear, he is ready to blame even the women MPs… History will remember this clearly.”