AAP backs Trinamool's call for Awadhesh Prasad as Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker
AAP backs Trinamool's call for Awadhesh Prasad as Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday announced its support to appoint Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad as Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. This comes a day after the Trinamool Congress reportedly urged the Centre to appoint Prasad to the Deputy Speaker role in the Lower House.
"A leader of Dalit society from the city of Lord Shri Ram, who has been an MLA and minister, and now the people there have expressed their opinion and made him an MP. BJP people should at least make him Deputy Speaker," AAP MP Sanjay Singh told India Today.
Singh alleged that the BJP "cannot tolerate that a Dalit's son sits in front of Modi ji on a bigger chair than him."
A Deputy Speaker has the same legislative powers as a Speaker. When the Speaker is absent due to death, illness, or any other reason, the Deputy Speaker also assumes administrative powers.
The INDIA bloc has been demanding the Deputy Speaker post, as it was given to the Opposition previously. The post remained vacant in the previous Lok Sabha. The government has not released the schedule for the election of the post.
According to sources, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed Awadhesh Prasad's name to the central government. Sanjay Singh said that Trinamool's demand is justified, but it remains to be seen to what extent the BJP will accept it.
However, government sources on Monday stated that there were no talks with the Opposition regarding the Deputy Speaker post.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi slammed the BJP over the matter on Monday, saying, "Keeping with convention and tradition, it was only fair and to be expected that the post of Deputy Speaker would be given to a member from the ranks of the opposition."
But this "perfectly reasonable request" was found unacceptable by the government, she added.
Commenting on the developments, Prasad said he would accept the decision that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will take.
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