Highlights
- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said no word has been banned from use in Parliament amid row
- He said members are free to express their views while maintaining the decorum of the House
- New booklet by Lok Sabha Secretariat listed out unparliamentary words, including 'ashamed', 'drama'
Amid controversy over the publication of a booklet by the Lok Sabha Secretariat that listed words such as 'ashamed', 'jumlajeevi' as 'unparliamentary expressions', Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said no word has been banned from use in Parliament. He said members are free to express their views while maintaining the decorum of the House.
Birla's comments came amid a controversy over the publication of a booklet by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, that listed words such as 'ashamed', 'jumlajeevi', 'taanashah', 'abused', 'betrayed', 'corrupt', 'drama', 'hypocrisy' and 'incompetent' as unparliamentary expressions.
"No word has been banned. Members are free to express their views. No one can snatch that right, but it should be as per decorum of Parliament," Birla told reporters even as the Opposition targeted the government, accusing it of listing every word used by them to "describe how BJP was destroying India" as unparliamentary.
Birla said people unaware of parliamentary practices were making all kinds of comments and asserted that legislatures were independent of government.
"It is a routine practice continuing since 1959," he said referring to the release of the booklet compiling lists of words and expressions deemed unparliamentary.
Birla said words chosen for expunging have been used by members of the ruling party as well as the opposition.
