Speaker Birla cautions ministers, members against long chats in House chamber
New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday cautioned Union ministers and MPs against having long conversations in the House when proceedings were underway and warned that he will name them in future.
As soon as the Zero Hour began at 12 noon, Birla said he has seen members and ministers talking for half-an-hour with each other during House proceedings.
He said short and important conversations were allowed but not long chats. "I will name you in future... it is important to maintain the dignity of the House," he said.
The speaker naming a member is considered an admonishment.
Earlier, during the Question Hour, the speaker had warned Independent MP Pappu Yadav against talking to a fellow member while showing back to the Chair. He said a senior member like him should desist from such behaviour.
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Mamata blames EC for 'failing to protect' judicial officers gheraoed over voter name deletion
Sagardighi (WB) (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday blamed the Election Commission for "failing to protect" judicial officers engaged in the SIR exercise in West Bengal's Malda district.
Seven judicial officers engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were rescued by security forces after protesters gheraoed them for several hours on Wednesday over the deletion of names from the electoral rolls.
"I condemn the Election Commission for failing to protect the judicial officers," Banerjee said, addressing an election rally here in Murshidabad district.
Claiming that the EC posted its own officers in civil and police administration after announcement of assembly polls in the state, Banerjee accused the poll body of having "totally failed to control law and order".
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Several officers, including the state's chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police (DGP), were replaced in West Bengal soon after the assembly polls were announced by the Election Commission.
"All my powers have been taken away, I have never seen such an Election Commission," the chief minister said.
Banerjee claimed that the BJP's game plan is to get the assembly polls cancelled in Bengal and to get President's Rule imposed.
"There are communal people in the BJP, and some communal people have also entered your ranks," Banerjee said, addressing the rally.
She claimed that such people flew in from Hyderabad with money from the BJP and are trying to divide the Muslim votes in the state.
