Om Birla Elected As The Speaker Of The 18th Lok Sabha. Om Birla has been elected as the speaker of the Lok Sabha through a voice vote for the second consecutive day. This came about after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party would support the NDA candidate if the Deputy Speaker is appointed from the Opposition benches.
Om Birla was congratulated by the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the treasury, and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rjiju escorted him to the Speaker’s chair.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Birla, saying his sweet smile keeps the entire House happy. He added that it’s a matter of honor that he has been elected to the position for again. Modi highlighted that the previous Lok Sabha passed several path-breaking legislations under Birla’s leadership.
Birla addressed the House saying all members must work together for the country. He appealed to the members to ensure decorum in the House. Birla also highlighted the need for a difference between protest in the House and protests in the street.
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Opposition Wants to Be Heard In Lok Sabha
Gandhi expressed confidence that this time around the Speaker will allow the opposition to speak. He said the question is not about how efficiently the House is run but how much of India’s voice is being allowed to be heard.
The Leader of Opposition highlighted that running the House efficiently by silencing the voice of the Opposition is a non-democratic idea. Gandhi told the Lok Sabha that the people of India expect the Opposition to defend the Constitution.
“Speaker sir, this House represents the voice of India’s people and you are the final arbiter of that voice,” he said. “The government has political power but the opposition also represents the voice of India’s people.”
Gandhi said that the Opposition, this time around, represents significantly more. “We would like the House to function often and well cooperation must happen based of trust.” He added that the voice of the Opposition should be allowed and represented in the House.
