Speaker unhappy over show of placards, says LS proceeding should not appear like municipal corporation meetings

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday expressed dismay over opposition members showing placards in the House and said proceedings in the Parliament should not look like a municipal corporation or municipal council meeting.

The Speaker made the remarks after he asked sloganeering members of the Congress to return to their seats. The Congress members had come near the Speaker's podium raising slogans against the BJP-led government over political crisis in Karnataka triggered by resignation of Congress and JD(S) legislators.

"We should take the House to a new level. It belongs to all of you. Do not take it towards sloganeering and showing of placards. My request to you is that debate and discuss as much as you want. The government should also reply to the issues it wants to. If you all agree, there is need to stop sloganeering, raising of placards in the House," he said.

Birla said the members can raise any number of issues and he will try to accommodate them.

"The world watches the proceedings of the House. You have to maintain the dignity of the House. Do not make this house like municipal corporation and municipal council by bringing placards," he said.

Earlier, the Speaker told Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghawal that he had given a ruling to consider request of Chowdhury to raise the Karnataka issue in zero hour.

Meghwal had cited rules and said that a member cannot speak on the same issue again in the zero hour.