Why in News
The leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, was swiftly suspended for his remarks against the Prime Minister (which was later revoked), but no swift action has been forthcoming against a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ramesh Bidhuri, for passing communal slurs against the Bahujan Samaj Party Member of Parliament, Danish Ali.
Two important functions of speaker
Under the Indian Constitution, the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies elect two of its members to be the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Apart from the traditional roles ,the Speakers perform two important functions,
Certifying a Bill to be a Money Bill (over which the Rajya Sabhahave a limited role)
Deciding on disqualification under the 10th Schedule for defection.
Misuse of speaker’s provisions
It has been noticed that the Speakers and the Houses misuse these provisions against the Opposition members.
Examples,
The leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, was swiftly suspended for his remarks against the PM.
The ruling BJP, Ramesh Bidhuri, for passing communal slurs against the Bahujan Samaj Party Member of Parliament, Danish Ali no action taken yet.
The Maharashtra Assembly suspending 12 BJP MLAs unconstitutionally for a year in July 2021 that was later set aside by the Supreme Court of India.
Speaker’s role in deciding disqualification petitions that can derail the stability of elected governments.
Difference between speaker in Britain and India
Political neutrality: In Britain, there is a convention that the Speaker resigns from their political party once elected to the position.
In India, there is no such convention, and the Speaker may remain a member of their political party.
Term of office: In Britain, the Speaker has no fixed term of office and can serve for as long as they have the support of the House.
In India, the Speaker is elected for a term of five years and can be re-elected once.
Role in selecting the Prime Minister: In Britain, the Speaker plays a role in selecting the Prime Minister by inviting the leader of the party with the majority of seats in the House of Commons to form a government.
In India, the President appoints the Prime Minister, but the Speaker may be consulted on this decision.
Salary and benefits: The Speaker in Britain is paid a higher salary and receives more benefits than the Speaker in India.
COMMENTS