'Don't touch my staff,' Lok Sabha Speaker warns MP
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday warned an agitating opposition member not to touch any of the parliamentary staff while protesting in the well of the House. "Don't touch my staff," a miffed Birla said.
His remarks came when the opposition members including Congress, TMC and DMK were protesting in the well of the House during the Question Hour as the Speaker denied them to raise the issue of the current political situation in Karnataka.
The Speaker urged the agitating members to go back to their seats and allow the Question Hour session to continue. But the opposition members were on their feet shouting slogans like "we want justice" and "tanashahi nahi chalegi".
"You members decide that the issues related to states cannot be raised in the House. This is a state issue and related to constitutional posts," Birla said urging the members to go back to their seats. But the agitating members continued with their protest.
After some time, the Speaker again urged them to allow the Question Hour session to continue.
"I have allowed you to raise this issue twice on earlier occasions. Despite that, I will allow you to speak during Zero Hour after laying the papers on the House," Birla said referring to Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who raised this issue last week.
After the Speaker's assurance, the opposition members went back to their seats and the Question Hour continued.