Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday addressed the Congress party’s criticism regarding the appointment of BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha. Mahtab, who secured his seventh term in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, was appointed by the President of India on June 19.
The Congress has accused the BJP-led government of disregarding parliamentary norms by overlooking Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term Lok Sabha MP, for the position. In response, Rijiju accused the Congress of “politicising” the appointment and asserted that all conventions were adhered to. He explained that although Suresh is an eight-term MP, he was not a member of the Lok Sabha in 1998 and 2004, and thus did not have an uninterrupted tenure.
“We expected the Parliament proceedings to start on a good note. But, even before the start of the first session, Congress resorted to spreading lies and misleading everyone through social media posts,” Rijiju stated, according to PTI. He emphasized that the pro-tem Speaker’s role is temporary, serving only until the election of the new Speaker, and does not involve any significant business transactions.
Rijiju expressed regret over the controversy, stating, “I feel ashamed that the Congress party has talked like this. First of all, they created an issue about the pro-tem Speaker. This post is very temporary. They do not have to do any business transaction.”
Citing past precedents, Rijiju pointed out that the UPA government in 2004 had appointed eight-term member Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil as pro-tem Speaker, despite the presence of nine-term MP George Fernandes in the Lok Sabha, thus countering Congress’s seniority argument.
The appointment of Mahtab as pro-tem Speaker has sparked a debate on parliamentary conventions, with both sides presenting their justifications amid the ongoing political dynamics in the Lok Sabha.