MPs have unhindered rights to speak in Parliament: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Sunday that all MPs enjoy an unhindered right to express their views in Parliament, days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said at an event in London that microphones are switched off repeatedly when he speaks in the House.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Sunday that all MPs enjoy an unhindered right to express their views in Parliament, days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said at an event in London that microphones are switched off repeatedly when he speaks in the House.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. (Sanjeev Verma/HT)

Addressing the general debate at the 146th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union at Manama, Bahrain, the Speaker said, “In India, we have a robust participatory democracy and a vibrant multiparty system where the hopes and aspirations of the citizens find expression through the elected representatives. All members enjoy the freedom to express their views and thoughts in the Lok Sabha.”

Earlier, Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar had slammed Gandhi and said, “If anyone says that mikes are put off in Indian Parliament, it is an affront to the nation.” He did not name Gandhi, though.

Last week, Gandhi told British parliamentarians that “a number of times” in the Lok Sabha, when he wanted to speak, he couldn’t switch his microphone on, hinting at an organised stifling of Opposition voices.

Birla was speaking on “Promoting peaceful co-existence and inclusive societies: Fight against intolerance”. The Speaker mentioned that India’s longstanding view is all global issues should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and pointed out that Parliament in India has “always held extensive and meaningful debate and deliberations on contemporary global challenges such as climate change, gender equality, sustainable development and the Covid-19 pandemic.”