Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla orders lawmakers not to talk during proceedings of the House, calls it 'unacceptable'

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday asked the Members of Parliament not to talk when proceedings of the House are on, saying that "it was unacceptable". 

Suggesting the MPs to go to the gallery if they desire to talk to other members, which he said "is just steps away", the Speaker told the MPs that he will not allow them to talk to each other in the house. 

"I have seen the tendency of some members of talking to each other while sitting in their seats as well as while standing. This is your House. If you want to run this House like that way, I can do that. But is that correct? Such things are not acceptable. I will not allow anyone to talk while sitting in the House and while standing. The gallery is just two steps away. If you want to talk, go to the gallery," Om Birla said.

The announcement made by the Speaker was welcomed by the members as they thumped their desks on the ultimatum. 

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Adding to the development, Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay asked the Speaker to be strict, saying this habit of MPs has been going on for long and will not change so easily.

"You have to keep telling them regularly," he said.

Newly appointed Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha, Om Birla has replaced former Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, who did not contest the 2019 General elections. 

Om Birla was unanimously elected by the Parliament, including the Congress party after he was nominated by PM Modi himself. As he took charge of the Lok Sabha on June 19, PM Modi also elaborated on Birla's political career that was spent in working for the society.

"Om Birla is one person whose career has been spent in social service. In every aspect of life, if he saw any difficulty, he became among the first people to come forward," PM Modi said.

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(With PTI Inputs)