Absence of Deputy Speaker affects LS functioning: Kiran

The Congress’s Bhongir MP, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, said that the post of Deputy Speaker has been vacant since 2019, despite Article 93 of the Constitution mandating an election to fill it up. The absence of a Deputy Speaker sets a dangerous precedent, affecting the functioning of the House, he said.
Addressing the media on Saturday at the Gandhi Bhavan, Kiran said that a democracy requires the smooth functioning of the Parliament, where all Members, irrespective of party affiliations, are given an equal opportunity to speak and discharge their duties.  However, some disturbing trends have emerged of late, which undermine Parliament. We have informed this to the Speaker through a notice along with other opposition MPs, he said.
He said that they raised the refusal to allow the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) to speak to the attention of the Speaker. He said the convention of allowing the LoP to speak when he stands up has been disregarded repeatedly. This breaks from parliamentary practices and diminishes the space for a healthy debate in the House, Kiran said.
He said that they also brought to the attention of the Speaker that the microphones of opposition leaders and MPs were being switched off. He said that whenever Opposition MPs raise a point of order, their microphones are switched off, while ruling party MPs are allowed to speak freely. This undermines democratic debate, Kiran said.