Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla calls for debate, discussions in House amid opposition heat

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid the intensifying Opposition campaign against the Election Commission of India over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday called for debate and dialogue, saying differences and disagreements were part of democracy, but discussions were essential to finding a way forward.

"Differences and divergent views are natural, but fruitful discussions should take place in Parliament on all issues. This can help resolve issues and provide a way forward," Birla told the media on the sidelines of the Conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees of Parliament and State/UT Legislatures in Thiruvananthapuram.

His remarks came even as the Opposition stepped up protests demanding the removal of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and BJP launched a countercampaign.


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On the disqualification proceedings against 20 MPs who broke away from Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and aligned with NDA constituent Nationalist Citizens Party of India, Birla said they again sought an extension of the proceedings, and he was examining the request. This is the fifth extension sought by the MPs. Banerjee's party has sought their disqualification under the anti-defection law.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over the next sitting of Parliament. The monsoon session, adjourned sine die on August 13, has still not been prorogued, with government keeping open the possibility of reconvening the existing session at short notice. However, the government has not announced any decision on a special sitting.

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Birla said he was examining a notice from PAC chairperson KC Venugopal over the absence of six state chief secretaries from a hearing on alleged irregularities in scholarship schemes for Scheduled Caste students. In an October 22 letter, Venugopal flagged their absence from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.