Speaker Birla anguished, day after Moitra's jibe at chair

A day after Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra raised questions on the presiding officer for not granting enough time to speak, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday expressed anguish over 'inappropriate' remarks which found support across party lines.

Birla did not name Moitra and urged members not to cast aspersions on the chair as it amounted to disrespect of the House.

"It is my appeal not to make any comments against the chair, neither inside nor outside the House," Birla said.

He said he had taken note of the events that had unfolded in the House on Thursday.

Birla also said it was inappropriate for a member to make comments against the chair on social media.

The speaker said it was always his endeavour to ensure every member received adequate time to speak in the House.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the members shared excellent relations with the Speaker and assured cooperation in the future.

Trinamool leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the dignity of the House should be upheld.

Moitra had hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party member Rama Devi, who was in the chair in Lok Sabha on Thursday, for asking her to "speak with love, not anger" while participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks on President's address.

In Twitter posts, Moitra had questioned the authority of the chair to interrupt her while speaking in Lok Sabha.

Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant said he was shaken at the plight of the Speaker and shared the concerns on the conduct of members voiced by him.

"If we do not respect the chair, who will respect us," Sawant said.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member A Raja said he had high regards for the chair and any inconvenience caused to the chair was not acceptable.

National Conference member Farooq Abdullah said the speaker was the honour of the House.

"We look to you as the father of the House. If we have done anything wrong, I apologise on behalf of the members," Abdullah said.

Bahujan Samaj Party member Ritesh Pandey, Nationalist Congress Party member Supriya Sule, Biju Janata Dal member B Mahtab, Telugu Desam Party member Jaydeva Galla, Revolutionary Socialist Party member NK Premachandran also spoke on the occasion.