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New Delhi. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Thursday that yesterday many opposition leaders in the House wanted to cause some unexpected incident by reaching near the House seat, hence Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not come to the House on their request. Birla also said that the kind of behavior shown by some members of the opposition by coming to his chamber on Wednesday had never happened since the beginning of the Lok Sabha and this scene was like a ‘black spot’.

When the Lok Sabha meeting resumed at 3 pm after three adjournments due to uproar by opposition members, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that yesterday “the Leader of the House (Prime Minister Modi) had to reply to the motion of thanks on the President’s address.” I received concrete information that many members of the Congress Party could have carried out some unexpected incident by reaching the floor of the House. I also saw this scene in the house. If such an incident had happened, this extremely unpleasant scene would have torn apart the democratic traditions of the country.

The Speaker said, “To avoid this, I requested the Prime Minister that he should not come to the House.” Being the Speaker, it was my responsibility to keep the high traditions and dignity of the House intact. Leaders of the House should not speak in the House, it is not appropriate for the House in any way.” Birla said that Prime Minister Modi saved the House from an unpleasant scene by agreeing to his request by not coming to the House on Wednesday and for this he expresses his gratitude to the Prime Minister.

He also said, “The country has seen yesterday’s incident how the women members have reached there (the Prime Minister’s seating area). This was not fair in any way. It was not befitting the dignity of the House. You want to bring down the dignity of the House. You can say things with words, make allegations. But the way you are doing by coming here (to the ruling party), it is not appropriate.

The Prime Minister was likely to reply to the discussion on the motion of thanks on the President’s address in the House on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed the motion of thanks without the Prime Minister’s reply. The Speaker also said that yesterday some Lok Sabha members behaved in his chamber in a manner which has never happened since the inception of the Lower House till date.

He said, “In our parliamentary system, the dignified position of the Speaker of the House has been created in the Constitution. The history till date has been that political differences have never been brought to the office of the Speaker. The behavior of the opposition members in the Speaker’s office was not appropriate and I would say it was a black spot. We all should cooperate in the smooth functioning of the House.

Meanwhile, expressing displeasure with some opposition MPs who were showing banners and posters, Birla said, “If you come here with posters and pamphlets, the House will not function.” It won’t work even today, it won’t work tomorrow too.” After this he adjourned the proceedings for the day.