Dear Editor
Pro-tem Speaker’s appointment has kicked up controversy. Nothing passes off peacefully without much noise and fuss in the political circles. The appointment of Pro-tem Speaker flares up as 3 opposition MPs may refuse to join panel assisting Bhartruhari Mahtab for administering oath to the newly elected members of Lok Sabha. Not to join the panel of chairpersons to assist pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab in administering the oath are Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkotai Rajuthevar Balu and Sudip Bandyopadhyay. Mahtab has been appointed the Pro-tem Speaker by the President Droupadi Murmu on June 20 under Article 95(1) of the Constitution till the election of a Speaker. She has also appointed Congress MP Suresh Kodikunnil, DMK MP Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay and BJP MPs Radha Mohan Singh and Gaggan Singh Kulaste to assist the Pro-tem Speaker to administer the oath for the newly elected members to the 18th Lok Sabha. Refusal to accept Mahtab by the Opposition parties is the beginning of the ‘non-cooperation movement’ with the centre. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s objection is that by convention the MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed pro-tem Speaker for the first two days to administer oath to the newly elected members and this practice has been flouted by the Modi government. The senior most MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Kodikunnil Suresh (Congress) and Virendra Kumar (BJP) now serving 8th term. Since Virendra Kumar is the Union Minister, Jairam Ramesh wants Suresh appointed the Pro-tem Speaker. Perhaps Ramesh would not have made mention of Virendra Kumar for serving 8th term if he had not been appointed the Union Minister obviating competition with Suresh. Ramesh wants to send a message to the centre that appointment of Suresh is Hobson’s choice of centre. Dismissing the claim of Ramesh, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has pointed out that Suresh was not a member from 1998 and 2004. Congress has started playing caste card stating that Suresh was denied the post since he belonged to dalit community. Congress leader K.C. Venugopal has described the overlooking of Suresh’s claim to the Pro-tem Speaker post as an attempt at “destroying parliamentary norms”. Congress leadership needs to be reminded that seniority principle was flouted in 2004. If Congress had been really serious, it could have named Jagjivan Ram or H.N. Bahuguna as the Prime Minister to succeed Lal Bahadur Shastri after his untimely death. But Indira Gandhi was opted to head the government as Prime Minister. Even after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi was appointed the Prime Minister. Pranab Mukherjee’s attempt to take over as PM was foiled. Were there no capable dalit stalwarts to appoint as Prime Minister following the death of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi? Responding to the charge that Suresh was not appointed Pro-tem Speaker because he is dalit, Kiren Rijiju said that he was the first tribal to occupy the post of Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Charity must begin at home. BJP under Vajpayee made a Muslim the President of India and BJP under Modi made a tribal the President of India. After all, the post of Pro-tem Speaker lasts till a regular Speaker is elected. Why so much of hue and cry for making Mahtab the Pro-tem Speaker? I.N.D.I.A. bloc is well within its rights and limits to make Suresh the Leader of the Opposition Party. Agreeably, earlier Speaker was used to be from the ruling party and the Deputy Speaker from the opposition party. That norm has been jettisoned because ruling parties and opposition parties do not respect each other. The ruling parties and opposition parties trade baseless charges and counter charges. The opposition parties give vent to their anger and frustration over their defeat in the election. The practice of making introspections after the defeat or for the reduced number of vote and seat share even in the victory has been pushed under carpet. The controversy surrounding a temporary post is ridiculous.
K.V. Seetharamaiah
