No one becomes leader by coming into well of House: LS Speaker to 1st-time MPs

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday asked first-time MPs to ensure uninterrupted proceedings in the House, bluntly telling them that no one becomes a leader by "coming into the Well of the House". He assured them he will try to give everyone time to speak in the House.

"Members rush to the Well of the House to protest and disrupt proceedings. The Lok Sabha is a place to debate, discuss and raise issues, and its members should ensure uninterrupted proceedings," Birla said. He was addressing the parliamentarians at an orientation programme organised by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Underlining that maintaining dignity of the House should be of paramount importance, Birla said, "No one becomes a leader by coming into the Well of the House...that time has gone." It is the responsibility of all MPs to ensure the dignity of the House, he said, assuring the first-time parliamentarians in the 17th Lok Sabha that he will ensure that everyone gets time to speak.

There are 264 first-time MPs in the 545-member House. He appealed to all MPs that the 17th Lok Sabha should set an example of not having any adjournments.

Birla said he is aware of the difficulties faced by first-time MPs amd that he is working to resolve all shortcomings. Addressing the first-time MPs at the programme, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said members should maintain decorum and cautioned them from doing anything that lowers the dignity of the House.

Describing MPs as a conveyor belt, who are there to convey the issues and feeling of the people in their respective constituencies, Congress leader of Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said let noble ideas come to the house from all different directions. Emphasising on the importance of democracy, Chowdhury said there will be no democracy if there will be no opposition in the parliament. Opposition is very essential for democracy.

Opposition endeavours to check political authoritarianism by the executive government, he added. Speaking at the same event, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said members should keep in mind that they can never become famous by disruptions, rather they should study the subject which is under discussion and actively participate in the debate.

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