"Inappropriate, would request members to refrain from personal comments": LS Speaker Om Birla
Dec 12, 2024
New Delhi [India], December 12 : Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday condemned the controversial comments made by TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee about Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and requested the members to refrain from personal comments on any caste, society, women, or men in their speeches.
"Whatever happened in the House yesterday was extremely inappropriate and no comment should be made on any respected member, especially women. This is not in accordance with the dignity of the House. I would request the respected members to refrain from personal comments and personal comments on any caste, society, women, men etc in their speeches...The honourable member (Kalyan Banerjee) has also apologised for this in the House and has also given it to me in writing," Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said in the House.
On Wednesday, a heated argument in Parliament between BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia and TMC's Kalyan Banerjee during a discussion on the Disaster Management Bill led to chaos in the Lok Sabha.
The controversy began when Banerjee made personal accusations, including a controversial remark about Scindia, which outraged BJP women MPs. They immediately demanded Banerjee's expulsion from the House.
Kalyan Banerjee expressed an apology for his remarks but Jyotiraditya Scindia said that he is not accepting the apology and that the remarks "were an attack on women of India".
The controversial remarks were expunged by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Kalyan Banerjee later told ANI that his remarks were not against any woman and he had apologised.
"I haven't said that for any woman but for Jyotiraditya Scindia. I have said sorry for that," he said.
Women Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs also lodged a complaint with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju against TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee for making controversial comments about Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma attacked the Opposition for submitting a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar and said that the INDIA bloc is functioning without any leadership.
"It is the speciality of the Congress party to level baseless allegations...The allies of the Congress party also speak the language of the Congress party. The opposition is functioning without any leadership and that's why they (opposition parties) get caught in the web of lies of Congress," Sharma said.
The INDIA bloc submitted the no-confidence motion on December 10 to the Secretary-General of the Upper House of Parliament.
INDIA bloc parties held a joint press conference and said they were forced to resort to the step to "safeguard the democracy and Constitution".
The Winter Session of Parliament has seen frequent adjournments with opposition members seeking discussion on the Adani issue, the Manipur situation and Sambhal violence. The treasury benches have been seeking a discussion on alleged links between Congress and George Soros.
The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20.