Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slams LS Speaker Om Birla's Emergency speech as "dramatic start"

"It has been a rather dramatic start to the session because you had all Opposition leaders standing up and saying that they hope that the Speaker would conduct the House in a manner that is fair to all Opposition parties and that would take everyone's point of view into account and give everyone's voice and opportunity to be heard," Tharoor said.

Reflecting on the opening of the current parliamentary session, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday described the proceedings as a "dramatic start." Tharoor's comments came in response to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's speech condemning the Emergency period.

"It has been a rather dramatic start to the session because you had all Opposition leaders standing up and saying that they hope that the Speaker would conduct the House in a manner that is fair to all Opposition parties and that would take everyone's point of view into account and give everyone's voice and opportunity to be heard," Tharoor said. "What we saw was the Speaker, unfortunately, raising a matter that had not been discussed in the House and in a manner that came across as confrontational which was not the right note on which to start the session. But we will have to see how things proceed," he added.

Tharoor further emphasized the stance of the Opposition, articulated by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, who stressed the importance of ensuring that the people's voice is heard in the House. "As far as we are concerned, the attitude of Opposition parties was well expressed by Rahul Gandhi as Leader of Opposition when he said that we want people's voice to be heard in this House and that is what we are here for. This was not the right way to do. The Speaker could well have benefitted from actually allowing this kind of discussion to take place and then come up with a conclusion rather than imposing the conclusion on the House immediately," Tharoor said.

Earlier in the day, upon his re-election as the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla condemned the Emergency period, and the House observed a two-minute silence in memory of those who lost their lives during that time. "This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting the democracy of India. 25th June 1975 will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India," Birla said.

"On this day, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency in the country and attacked the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. India is known all over the world as the mother of democracy. Democratic values and debate have always been supported in India. Democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Dictatorship was imposed on such an India by Indira Gandhi. The democratic values of India were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled," he added. On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, imposed a 21-month state of emergency.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which is considered one of the most controversial periods in India's political history. Meanwhile, On Rahul Gandhi's election as LoP of Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that he is the most prominent Opposition in the country.

"I think it is a very good development - certainly something that we in the Congress Working Committee had unanimously resolved, that he should take up this position. He had taken some time to confirm it. But now that he has done it, I think it is a very good gesture because he is the most prominent Opposition in the country. This is fitting that he should occupy this position," Tharoor said. Congress on Tuesday declared that Rahul Gandhi, party's MP from Raebareli will be Leader of the Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha, ending the 10-year spell of no LoP in the Lower House since 2014.

"Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been appointed as the LoP in the Lok Sabha.." Venugopal said while addressing the media here in the national capital. Notably, Lok Sabha did not have a Leader of the Opposition in the last 10 years because no political party, other than the ruling party, was able to secure the minimum Lok Sabha seats required to nominate a Leader of the Opposition.

Rahul Gandhi won from both Raebareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha constituencies in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. While Rahul Gandhi won with a margin of 364422 votes from Wayanad defeating Communist Party of India's Annie Raja, in Raebareli, he won with a margin of 390030 votes from Raebareli defeating Bharatiya Janata Party's Dinesh Pratap Singh. However, after Rahul Gandhi announced that he would resign as an MP from Wayanad and keep the Raebareli constituency, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced Priyanka Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad last week.

If Priyanka Gandhi wins from Wayanad, three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family will be in Parliament - Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the Lok Sabha. The leader of the largest opposition party having not less than one-tenth seats of the total strength of the Lok Sabha is recognised as the leader of the Opposition.

He will be a member of crucial committees such as Public Accounts (Chairman), Public Undertakings, Estimates and several Joint Parliamentary Committees. He is entitled to be a member of various selection committees responsible for appointing heads of statutory bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission, the CBI, the NHRC, and the Lokpal. (ANI)

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