PM Modi could have been attacked, I prevented him from entering Lok Sabha: Speaker Om Birla

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has clarified that he personally requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to attend the House during the motion of thanks on the President's address. The Speaker stated that this was done because there was a fear of physical attack from opposition MPs. He added that if any untoward incident had occurred, the dignity of democracy would have been severely undermined.

Om Birla said that given the situation, it was decided to approve the motion of thanks without the Prime Minister's speech. Due to the uproar, the Lok Sabha has been adjourned until Friday.

Reacting to the development, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said that while it is true that there were serious concerns about the Prime Minister's security, the Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to advise the Prime Minister not to attend the House on Wednesday was a responsible decision .

Priyanka Gandhi termed the allegations false

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi completely rejected these allegations. She said that it is wrong to suggest that the Prime Minister was in any kind of danger. Priyanka Gandhi questioned how a few female MPs standing near the Prime Minister could be considered a security threat. She also questioned the media, asking why the Leader of the Opposition was not given an opportunity to speak and on what basis was Rahul Gandhi prevented from speaking in Parliament. She said that the government should be asked to answer these questions.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said Wednesday's behavior in the House was "highly unexpected." He described the behavior of some opposition MPs as a "black mark" on the history of the Lok Sabha. He said such an atmosphere was not in keeping with the dignity of Parliament and that all members should cooperate in ensuring the smooth conduct of proceedings.

Om Birla alleged that the Congress party was plotting to misdirect the Prime Minister's speech. This is why the decision was made to postpone the Prime Minister's speech in response to the discussion on the President's address. It is noteworthy that this is the first time since 2004 that a motion of thanks on the President's address was passed without the Prime Minister's speech.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad asked, "What exactly does the opposition want—to block the Prime Minister's path and corner him?" He said, "Every citizen who supports democracy is hurt by the way the Parliament has been lowered. The Speaker has also expressed his anguish over this entire incident."