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‘Extremely unfortunate’: Speaker criticises Sonia Gandhi’s Waqf bill ‘bulldozed through’ remark
As soon as the Lok Sabha convened on Friday, treasury benches started protesting Sonia Gandhi’s remarks leading the speaker to adjourn the House till 12 noon
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Friday criticised senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s remarks that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was bulldozed through in the Lok Sabha, saying it was “extremely unfortunate” that the senior leader had questioned the House’s procedures despite an extensive discussion and proper passage of the bill according to the rules.
Without naming Gandhi, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha, Birla said her statement was “neither appropriate, nor in accordance with the dignity of the parliamentary democracy”.
At a meeting of party MPs on Thursday, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi accused the Union government of bulldozing the bill in the Lok Sabha, called the proposed law a brazen assault on the Constitution and part of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s deliberate strategy to keep society in a state of permanent polarisation. Gandhi also said leaders of the Opposition were not being allowed to speak in both Houses of Parliament and called the trend of adjournments due to protests by treasury benches extraordinary and shocking.
As soon as the Lok Sabha convened on Friday, treasury benches started protesting Sonia Gandhi’s remarks, leading the speaker to adjourn the House until 12 noon. When the House reconvened, minister of parliamentary affairs and minority affairs Kiren Rijiju urged the speaker to deliver an “appropriate ruling.”
Birla said, “The senior Congress leader, who has been a member of this House and is presently a member of the other House, gave a statement in the premises of the other House that the Waqf Amendment Bill was forcibly passed. On this Bill, the House held discussions for 13 hours and 53 minutes, in which 61 members from various parties presented their views.”
“There was division thrice on the bill and it was passed as per the rules of the House. That is why it is highly unfortunate that despite the House sitting till late night and passing the bill after a long debate, a senior member is casting aspersions on the House proceedings, which is not appropriate,” Birla said.
