"Feel ashamed that Congress talks like this...": Rijiju rejects allegations of violation of convention in appointment of pro tem Speaker

New Delhi [India], June 21 (ANI): Hitting back at Congress over its allegations that conventions have been flouted in the appointment of pro tem Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijuju on Friday said that the government has followed the tradition and "violation of the system will be felt only by those who have not read the system".
With Congress stating that party member K Suresh, an eight-time MP, should have been made pro tem Speaker in place of BJP's Bhartruhari Mahtab, Rijuju said there had been a break in the term of Congress MP.
"I have to say it with great regret that I feel ashamed that the Congress party talks like this. First of all, they created an issue about the pro tem speaker. This post of pro tem speaker is very temporary, they play their role till the election of the new speaker, they do not have to do any business transaction or anything and the pro-tem speaker has a limited role...They objected to the name of Bhartruhari Mahtab. Bhartruhari Mahtab has been a member of the Lok Sabha for seven consecutive terms without a break and at this time he is the longest-serving member," Rijuju said.
"They took the name of Suresh Kodaikanal. His total term is 8. But his break happened in 2004 and 1998...Here, any violation of the system will be felt only by those who have not read the system and its rules. We have followed this tradition," he added.
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.
Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay were appointed to assist the Speaker Protem in oath-taking of the newly-elected members.
After the announcement, the several Congress leaders objected to the government's decision, saying that the longest-serving MP is made pro tem Speaker as per convention and Kodikunnil Suresh should have been given the role as he is entering his eighth term as 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 Protem 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 Protem 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)