An ‘expunged’ remark under ‘reconsideration’

AAP MP Bhagwant Mann took a dig at Modi’s radio programme during a discussion on a farmer committing suicide at his party’s rally Wednesday. Mahajan said the remark would be expunged since opposition members were dragging the PM’s name in almost every debate, which was not “fair”. “This is wrong, expunge it… It is not appropriate to speak like this in every issue,” she said.

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The Congress, prompted by Sonia Gandhi, objected to the order. Mallikarjun Kharge said Mann’s remark was neither unparliamentary nor against the rules. “Against whom will they speak (if not against the PM) if they have to speak against the government,” Kharge said.

Other party leaders, including the Trinamool Congress’s Saugata Roy, too questioned the decision, while AAP members stood in the aisle to protest. Congress leaders K C Venugopal and Deepender Hooda, along with Roy, raised points of order over Mahajan’s ruling.

Though the Speaker did not permit the points of order, saying it was not allowed during zero hour, she assured the opposition she would “reconsider” the matter. “I understand your sentiments. I will look into it later and if the reference and context are right, then I will allow it,” she said.

Later, when the PM entered the House, Kharge said they were “fortunate” that he has come to the House. Kharge then said: “He is the Prime Minister of the country. But you (Speaker) are supreme in this House. Here, everyone is under you, even the Prime Minister is under you, we are all under you.”