Team Herald
MARGAO: South Goa MP Capt. Viriato Fernandes on Saturday lamented that he was unable to table a Private Member’s Bill on tiatr due to the government’s alleged attempts to silence the Opposition in Parliament.
Stating that there is a lack of discussions on urgent public issues under Rule 193 in the Lok Sabha, Fernandes said he had intended to introduce a Private Member’s resolution urging the government to grant a UNESCO tag to tiatr, which will complete 133 years on April 17 this year.
“Tiatr is an integral part of our culture and has played a crucial role in society by delivering social messages through acting and songs,” he said, adding that he had been struggling for the past eight days to table the resolution.
His resolution also sought government pension for veteran tiatr artistes and state sponsorship for tiatrs to strengthen ties with the Goan diaspora, Fernandes told reporters.
He added that the INDIA Bloc, comprising Opposition parties, had submitted a 12-point letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, highlighting concerns such as the switching off of Opposition members’ microphones and the exclusion of key ministries from Union Budget discussions.
Fernandes alleged that Opposition members’ microphones are turned off when they raise important issues, while ruling party members are allowed to speak freely.
He further claimed that
Speaker Om Birla repeatedly denied Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi the opportunity to speak without any explanation, violating the parliamentary convention of allowing the Opposition leader to address the House.
Fernandes accused the government of disregarding Business Advisory Committee (BAC) decisions. He cited a recent instance where Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a statement in the House without prior scheduling or intimation. Additionally, he said adjournment motions are routinely disallowed by the Speaker. He also alleged that Sansad TV deliberately avoids showing Opposition MPs when they speak, shifting the camera away from them. Furthermore, parliamentary consultative committee meetings are not being held regularly.
Fernandes pointed out that since 2019, a Deputy Speaker has not been appointed in the Lok Sabha, which he described as detrimental to democracy. He said the INDIA Bloc floor leaders have urged the Speaker to take appropriate steps to uphold the integrity of parliamentary democracy.