LS Speaker amends rules; bars members from raising slogans during oath
New Delhi, Jul 3: With some Lok Sabha members resorting to sloganeering during oath taking, Speaker Om Birla has amended the rule which now bars MPs-elect from adding any remark to the oath as members of the House.
Birla added a fresh clause to 'Direction 1' to the 'Directions by the Speaker' for regulating certain matters related to the functioning of the House that are not specifically provided in the rules.
According to the amendment to 'Direction 1', the new clause 3 now states that a member shall make and subscribe oath or affirmation, and "shall not use any word or expression or make any remark as a prefix or suffix to the form of oath or affirmation".
The amendment came against the backdrop of several members raising slogans like "Jai Samvidhan" and "Jai Hindu Rashtra" while taking oath last week. One member had also raised the slogan 'Jai Palestine', which too was objected to by several members. The speaker had urged the members to stick to the prescribed format but in vain.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged several members used the solemn occasion of taking oath or making affirmation to send a political message.
The slogans also led to a war of words between the treasury and the opposition benches on June 24 and 25.
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Bengal: Hundreds stage protest over 'threats' by TMC workers
Kolkata (PTI): Demanding safety after counting of votes, hundreds of villagers staged a protest in Falta in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, alleging they were receiving life threats from TMC workers in the area.
The protesters, many of them women and holding BJP flags, blocked the road in Hasimnagar village, alleging that local panchayat pradhan Israfil, a close associate of TMC candidate Jehangir Khan, issued them threats of attacks after poll results are announced.
The CRPF deputy commandant visited the area with a large force and assured the demonstrators of ensuring their safety.
Khan dismissed the allegations and said the women were "deployed" by the BJP to stage the demonstration and engineer the arrest of TMC functionaries in the area before the counting to "harm the morale of the TMC supporters".
"If the charges are proved, I am ready to face the law," he said.
Fatima Bibi, one of the protesters belonging to the BJP's Mahila Morcha, claimed Israfil and his men "have been visiting the area since April 30 and threatening us that there would be bloodshed from May 5. We demand CRPF remain in the area".
The CRPF official said, "We are here to instill confidence among the people with support of the local police, We have assured them of full security."
An Election Commission official said a report has been sought about the protests from the district administration.
