Thiruvananthapuram, eight-term Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh on Friday said that being the senior-most member of the Lok Sabha, he should have been appointed as acting president as per conventions and failure to do so shows that "the BJP will continue to bypass parliamentary procedures ". like he did the last two times."
A day after seven-term MP and BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab was named acting Lok Sabha speaker, Suresh said he was going against the conventions followed in the past.
"This decision amounts to threatening parliamentary democracy in the country. It indicates that the BJP will continue to circumvent parliamentary procedures or use them for its own interests, as it did the last two times," he said while speaking to the media.
The Acting Speaker will administer the oath/affirmation to the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha and will preside over the Lower House until the election of the Speaker.
Suresh said the decision also indicates that the BJP will continue to insult the opposition, taking away opportunities and not giving it the recognition it deserves, like they (BJP) did during the last two times they were in power.
Senior Congress MP from Mavelikkara constituency LS said that even though the BJP does not have a majority in the House on its own, as it had the last two times, there was no change in its ways of behaving.
Suresh said that as per the widely followed past conventions, the Lok Sabha member who has been an MP the most times becomes the acting president.
"This convention was followed in the past when Congress, UPA, BJP and NDA were in power," he said.
Last time, Maneka Gandhi, who was an MP for eight terms, was eligible to be the interim president, but she was not interested because she was not made a Union minister, Suresh claimed.
"After her, the senior MPs were me and Veerendra Kumar of the BJP. But Kumar was chosen to be the interim president. This time too, Kumar and I were the senior MPs. He was made a cabinet minister and so Therefore, automatically, according to LS rules, procedures and conventions, he should have been appointed interim president.
"My name was recommended by the LS secretariat. But when the Center sent its recommendation to the president, my name was avoided," he said.
The Centre's decision drew harsh criticism from the Congress on Thursday.
The practice of appointing the senior-most member as acting president was not followed in 1956, when Sardar Hukam Singh was appointed to the post.
In 1977, D N Tiwari was appointed acting president. He also wasn't the highest-ranking member of the House.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on June 24. Newly elected members will take the oath/affirmation on June 24 and 25.
The election of the president is scheduled for June 26.
A day after seven-term MP and BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab was named acting Lok Sabha speaker, Suresh said he was going against the conventions followed in the past.
"This decision amounts to threatening parliamentary democracy in the country. It indicates that the BJP will continue to circumvent parliamentary procedures or use them for its own interests, as it did the last two times," he said while speaking to the media.
The Acting Speaker will administer the oath/affirmation to the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha and will preside over the Lower House until the election of the Speaker.
Suresh said the decision also indicates that the BJP will continue to insult the opposition, taking away opportunities and not giving it the recognition it deserves, like they (BJP) did during the last two times they were in power.
Senior Congress MP from Mavelikkara constituency LS said that even though the BJP does not have a majority in the House on its own, as it had the last two times, there was no change in its ways of behaving.
Suresh said that as per the widely followed past conventions, the Lok Sabha member who has been an MP the most times becomes the acting president.
"This convention was followed in the past when Congress, UPA, BJP and NDA were in power," he said.
Last time, Maneka Gandhi, who was an MP for eight terms, was eligible to be the interim president, but she was not interested because she was not made a Union minister, Suresh claimed.
"After her, the senior MPs were me and Veerendra Kumar of the BJP. But Kumar was chosen to be the interim president. This time too, Kumar and I were the senior MPs. He was made a cabinet minister and so Therefore, automatically, according to LS rules, procedures and conventions, he should have been appointed interim president.
"My name was recommended by the LS secretariat. But when the Center sent its recommendation to the president, my name was avoided," he said.
The Centre's decision drew harsh criticism from the Congress on Thursday.
The practice of appointing the senior-most member as acting president was not followed in 1956, when Sardar Hukam Singh was appointed to the post.
In 1977, D N Tiwari was appointed acting president. He also wasn't the highest-ranking member of the House.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on June 24. Newly elected members will take the oath/affirmation on June 24 and 25.
The election of the president is scheduled for June 26.
