'Govt’s Duty To Run Parliament Smoothly In Budget Session': TMC MP Derek Reiterates Oppn Demand For Deputy Speaker Post

TMC MP Derek O'Brien urged the government to ensure the smooth operation of Parliament during the Budget session by avoiding "bulldozing bills" and appointing a deputy speaker from the opposition bloc.

File photo of TMC MP Derek O'Brien. (Source: PTI)

Source : PTI

TMC MP Derek O'Brien emphasised on Saturday that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the smooth operation of Parliament and asked to avoid "bulldozing bills" during the Budget session. He restated the opposition's call for one of its members to be appointed as the Lok Sabha deputy speaker.

As per the PTI, the initial session of the 18th Lok Sabha was turbulent, with opposition parties from the I.N.D.I.A bloc criticising the ruling BJP-led NDA over issues like the NEET-UG paper leak case and the situation in Manipur which lead to multiple adjournments in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The Budget session of Parliament is scheduled from July 22 to August 12.

"It is the government's duty to run Parliament smoothly in the Budget session. They must offer the deputy speaker (post) in the Lok Sabha to an I.N.D.I.A candidate," O'Brien, a Rajya Sabha member, wrote in his social media post X.

It is govt’s duty to run Parliament smoothly in Budget session. They must:

👉offer Deputy Speaker in LS to INDIA candidate
👉allow one notice from Oppn weekly in each House to discus issues of national importance (exam mess ; unemployment)
👉ensure no bulldozing of Bills

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) July 6, 2024

He also suggested that one notice from the opposition must be allowed each week in both Houses "to discuss issues of national importance (exam mess; unemployment), ensure no bulldozing of bills".

The I.N.D.I.A bloc is advocating for a deputy speaker to be chosen from one of its member parties. Earlier, the opposition had pushed for a rare contest for the position of the Lok Sabha speaker by nominating Congress' K Suresh against BJP's Om Birla, although they did not insist on a vote division.

TMC has proposed the name of Faizabad MP and Samajwadi Party leader Awadhesh Prasad for the post of deputy speaker, a demand that has been backed by some other parties as well. The 17th Lok Sabha did not have a deputy speaker throughout its entire term.