Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday stalled proceedings for over 10 minutes during the debate on the no-confidence motion after some of them objected to a scroll that was appearing on the bottom of the screen of Sansad TV.
BSP member Danish Ali accused Sansad TV of showcasing “achievements of the Modi government”. He added that it was “unprecedented to highlight a government’s work against whom a no-confidence motion has been brought in by the Opposition”.
Inside the House, large TV screens are placed for the members to see the live proceedings that are telecast by the official broadcaster, Sansad TV. Pointing to them, members from the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) protested over the issue.
Also read | ‘No-confidence’ motion indicative of lack of confidence within Opposition alliance: PM
The face-off took place just as Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi, who had moved the motion, finished his speech and BJP’s Nishikant Dubey had started speaking.
Members of the treasury benches, including Ministers, responded by stating that the Opposition has not been able to come to terms with the development ushered in by the Modi government.
“Why are they so afraid? This type of insecurity shouldn’t be there,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tried to calm down Opposition members and assured them that he would look into it. When the Opposition MPs refused to allow the debate to restart until the tickers stopped, Mr Birla informed the House that he had instructed the broadcaster.
“All of you should know that the Speaker doesn’t have mechanism or a button to control live proceedings,” the Speaker said.
