Govt, opposition battle it out over ‘unparliamentary’ words ahead of monsoon session

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the monsoon session, a war of words broke out between the Centre and opposition parties on Thursday after reports indicated that the words like ‘ashamed’, ‘abused, ‘betrayed’, ‘corrupt’, and ‘incompetent’ had been declared unparliamentary and would be considered unsuitable for use in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The Congress, TMC and Shiv Sena slammed the order while government sources claimed the opposition criticism was not based on facts.

The opposition has created a lot of hue and cry about the compilation of

unparliamentary words

in the parliament, a government source said. But what is amusing is that they have tried to create a storm without knowing the facts, the source added.

“The list is not a new suggestion but merely a compilation of words already expunged in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha or state legislatures. It also contains a list of words considered unparliamentary in parliaments of commonwealth countries,” the government said.

Meanwhile, opposition parties also hit out at the government claiming the order was meant to gag the criticism of its functioning.

Parties like the Congress, Shiv Sena and TMC lashed out alleging that all terms used by the opposition to describe the Modi dispensation will now to be considered “unparliamentary”.

According to a new booklet brought out by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, use of terms like ‘jumlajeevi’, ‘baal buddhi’, ‘Covid spreader’ and ‘Snoopgate’ and even commonly used words like ‘ashamed’, ‘abused, ‘betrayed’, ‘corrupt’, ‘drama’, ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘incompetent’ will be considered unparliamentary in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi termed the compilation as the “New Dictionary for New India”.

He shared a graphic that defined “Unparliamentary” as “Words used in discussion and debates which correctly describe the PM’s handling of the government, now banned from being spoken.”

“Example of an unparliamentary sentence: ‘Jumlajeevi Tanashah shed Crocodile Tears when his lies and incompetence were exposed’,” Gandhi’s post read.

The TMC also went ballistic at the new lisr. Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien said, “Session begins in a few days. GAG ORDER ISSUED ON MPs.”

“Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in #Parliament : Ashamed. Abused. Betrayed. Corrupt. Hypocrisy. Incompetent. I will use all these words. Suspend me. Fighting for democracy,” the TMC leader said.

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also hit out at the government claiming that only “Wah Modi ji, Wah” seemed to be allowed.

“‘What to do, what to speak, only Wah Modi ji, Wah’, this popular meme now seems to be turning true,” she said in a tweet in Hindi while sharing the news report about unparliamentary words.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned the intention of the government.

“What is the intention of the government. If one does corruption, then do not say corrupt; call corruption a ‘masterstroke’. After throwing ‘jumlas’ (rhetoric) like ‘2 crore jobs’, ‘doubling farmers’ income’, they should be termed as ‘thank you’,” Vadra said in a tweet in Hindi.

“PS: Who used the word ‘Andolanjeevi’ for the country’s ‘annadatas’ in Parliament,” she also asked in an apparent swipe at the prime minister.

Sharing a copy of the news report on the booklet, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said, “Saheb knows his qualities very well”.

Amid the opposition outrage, a government source, however, said the list does not contain new suggestions, but merely a compilation of words already expunged in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha or state legislatures. Some words and expressions declared unparliamentary from time to time by the Chair in different Legislative bodies in in the country as well as in Commonwealth Parliaments, have been compiled by the Lok Sabha Secretariat for ready reference in the future.

However, the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker will have the last word in expunging words and expressions.

The source also cited examples. The word ‘abused’ was considered unparliamentary in Australia’s House of Representatives while ‘childishness’ considered the same in Canada’s Quebec. The word ‘Lollipops’ and the sentence ‘you have reached here after telling a lie’ were expunged from Punjab assembly, the source claimed. There were some others similar examples, the source added.

The Monsoon session of Parliament will begin on July 18 and continue till August 12.

(With agency inputs)