Lok Sabha Speaker reacts on Opposition allegations of mics being switched off

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday took strong exception to Opposition members accusing the Chair of muting their microphones in the House and urged the Opposition to respect the role of the Speaker.

“It has come as a shock to me that many MPs have blamed the Speaker for muting the mic. The Speaker only announces the name of the individual who would speak, and the control of the mics are not with the Speaker,” he said, adding that Speakers from all political parties run the House in the same way.

Birla on Monday also took exception to members adding extra statements at the beginning or end of their oath.

“According to Article 99 of the Indian Constitution, it is a constitutional obligation of every MP to take oath as a member of this House… Adding any statement at the beginning or end of the oath is beyond the constitutional regulations. Members must refrain from indulging in that,” he said adding that the oath has its own rules and regulations and those must be respected.

Last week, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi claimed that his microphone was switched off as he tried to raise the issue of NEET irregularities.”I don’t have any button to switch off the microphone. There existed a similar set-up earlier. There is no mechanism to gag the microphone,” Birla said on Friday.