Gag order or routine? Centre vs Opposition over words banned in Parliament

The Opposition was quick to condemn the ‘gag order’, even before the Centre could clarify that the list is not a new one, but has been updated to add a few to the already existing inventory of words that are considered ‘unparliamentary’ in Parliament.

A Member of Parliament can no longer be ashamed, feel betrayed or call out rampant ‘corruption’ on record within the Houses. This morning, a booklet was made public by the Lok Sabha secretariat. It was a list of words that are banned on the floors of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The Opposition was quick to condemn the ‘gag order’, even before the Centre could clarify that the list is not a new one, but has been updated to add a few to the already existing inventory of words that are considered ‘unparliamentary’ inside Parliament.

The Congress and the Trinamool Congress, at loggerheads on most days, were the first to tweet their discontent, saying that all terms, used by the Opposition to describe the Modi dispensation, are now "unparliamentary".

“Who will be afraid of 'Jumlajeevi' (one) who has given jumlas. Who will be afraid of the word 'Jaichand' - (one) who has betrayed the country. Words are not being banned in Parliament. The fear of PM Modi is coming out,” Congress tweeted from its official account.

“All words used by the Opposition to describe the reality of Modi Sarkar are now considered 'unparliamentary'. What next Vishguru,” tweeted Jairam Naresh, Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP.

Also Read: | No words have been banned: Speaker Om Birla on row over 'unparliamentary' words

Sharing a news report, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala wrote: “Saheb knows his qualities very well.”