In the context of the eagerly anticipated debate on Operation Sindoor in both Houses of Parliament, the main question that is bothering everyone is whether Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh will permit opposition leaders some of whom were recruited by the Modi regime to be part of the all-party delegation to explain it to the rest of the world to speak in parliament without the chairs interfering with their ability to voice their opinions.
This important problem is being brought to light because Birla and Singh’s impartiality as presiding officers has previously been questioned due to their failure to provide opposition leaders a fair voice on important matters. When DMK MP Tiruchi Siva demanded that actual voting on agriculture bills be allowed in September 2020, Singh made the grave mistake of violating article 100 of the Constitution. When faced with indisputable evidence that contradicted his decision, he later justified it on the fictitious grounds that the House was not in order.
The Parliamentary Presiding Officers
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are primarily concerned about managing debates and running the Parliamentary institution. Their role and responsibility extend beyond that of keeping order; they further must respect the democratic ethos by allowing all members, including the opposition, to say their piece.
There have, however, been regular complaints by opposition parties against such presiding officers in these last few years, talking of their partiality against the opposition voices, which they allege are either ignored or almost curtailed during acute debate.
The Opposition Calls for Fair Representation
The opposition has constantly raised the issue of their limited time to speak and rushed proceedings as potentially compromising the democratic process. The opposition leaders advocate the need for a reasonable time to discuss pressing national issues on the agenda and question the government on its policies. It is about time and not time alone about transparency, accountability and balanced discourse in Parliament.
Modi’s remark in parliament that “Ek akela bhari (he alone weighs heavily)” over the opposition was indicative of his contempt for them. Additionally, he decided to send all-party delegations to explain the case for Operation Sindoor to the world’s leaders and peoples in a number of countries after he faced overwhelming odds and his reputation as a strong leader suffered greatly after US President Donald Trump declared a cease-fire four days after Operation Sindoor and India followed suit a few hours later.
Nadda’s statement on expunction
On July 21, the first day of the current monsoon of parliament, Jagdeep Dhankhar, the former vice president of India and chairman of the Rajya Sabha, resigned from his position ostensibly due to health concerns. This was reportedly because he had angered the Modi regime by allowing Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition of the House, to speak in detail about the massacre of 26 civilians in Pahalgam after the Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, admitted to failing to provide adequate intelligence.
On 25 separate occasions, Kharge criticized Trump’s claims that he had mediated a cease-fire and cited remarks made by several Indian defense officials regarding India’s loss of fighter jets. The House Leader, J.P.
Will the Officers be Unaffected by Political Pressure?
The next parliamentary sessions will pose major tests for the Speaker and Deputy Chairman. They are bound to try to strike a balance between the need to conduct legislative work in a competent manner and allow real opposition participation, which is an uphill task but most definitely required.
Providing there is genuine leeway for opposition voices without partiality, such a step will lend credibility to India as a parliamentary democracy. Whether this is forthcoming or not will be seen, but the weight of hope for a Parliament that is truly inclusive and democratic rests heavily on them.
