"Insult to entire House, democracy...": Congress takes on BJP over appointment of pro-tem Speaker

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Friday targeted the BJP over the appointment of Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, arguing that it amounts to insulting the entire House and the democracy. Pointing to the fact that the appointment disregards the traditional practice of selecting the most senior most for the position, he stated that disregarding K Suresh, an eight-time MP, in favour of a seven-term MP, Bhartruhari Mahtab, for the 18th Lok Sabha pro-tem Speaker post is an insult to the entire House and the democratic process.

"What is the reason that a person who has been an MP for 8 times was not made the pro-tem Speaker and a person who has been an MP for 7 times was made the pro-tem Speaker? I believe that somewhere in this, an attempt has been made to bring dictatorship and in the name of democracy. This is an insult to the entire House, democracy," Tiwari told ANI. The pro-tem Speaker administers the oath to thebnewly elected members and overseas the proceedings of the House until the permanent Speaker is elected.

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha. President Murmu also appointed Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay to assist the Protem Speaker in the oath-taking of the newly-elected members.

After the announcement, the Congress party objected to the government's decision, saying that the longest-serving MP is made pro-tem Speaker and as per convention Kodikunnil Suresh should have been given the role as he is entering his eighth term as a Parliamentarian. "By convention, the MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed Speaker Protem for the first two days when oath is administered to all newly elected MPs. The seniormost MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Kodikunnil Suresh (INC) and Virendra Kumar (BJP), both of who are now serving their eighth term. The latter is now a Union Minister and hence it was expected that Kodikunnil Suresh would be the Speaker Protem. Instead, a seven-term MP, Bhartruhari Mahtab has been appointed Speaker Protem. He was a BJD MP for six terms and is now a BJP MP," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore also reacted sharply to the central government's decision to appoint seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress and said that the decision was a mistake on the part of the government. "First mistake as Parliamentary Affairs Minister: seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab chosen as Pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress. What are the minister's intentions?" he asked in a post on X.

As per Article 94 of the Constitution, the office of the Speaker becomes vacant immediately before the first meeting of the new Lok Sabha. In that case, the duties of the Speaker are to be performed by a Member of the House appointed for this purpose by the President as Speaker pro tem. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will start on June 24. The Rajya Sabha session will begin on June 27. (ANI)

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