Assam Assembly Speaker asks MLAs to refrain from quoting expunged words outside

Guwahati, Jul 7 (PTI) Assam Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass on Tuesday cautioned legislators against quoting expunged words and proceedings outside the House, while urging members to avoid disruptions and ensure smooth functioning of the House. Addressing the House at the end of Question Hour on the second day of the budget session, Dass said settled issues should not be repeatedly raised, as treasury and opposition benches traded charges over disruptions. Mentioning the issue of objectionable comments made by an opposition legislator against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and an MLA on Monday that had been expunged but were referred to again, the Speaker said there was no need to discuss the issue again. "What has been expunged from proceedings, no one can quote it outside the House. Even the media cannot repeat it," he said. To ensure that more questions are taken up during the Question Hour, Dass urged the ministers to be brief in their replies. "I have also started the practice of allowing supplementary questions to be asked together so that the minister concerned can reply at one go and save time," he said. He urged all members to avoid unnecessary commotion in the House to ensure more productivity. On Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika's suggestion that members should not comment before the media within the Assembly premises on issues not raised inside the House, Dass said such a direction could not be issued as it would infringe on freedom of speech. Hazarika said many MLAs raise several issues before the media within the Assembly premises but do not place them in the House officially. He said members wishing to protest over issues without raising them in the Assembly should use the designated demonstration area at Chachal in Guwahati instead of speaking to the media on such matters within the Assembly premises. However, the suggestion was rejected by Speaker, with TMC legislator Sherman Ali Ahmed also pointing out that it would be an "attack on the freedom of speech". Congress’ Abdur Rahim Ahmed, raising a point of order during the discussion, urged the Speaker to ensure that the opposition is given priority for raising issues in the Assembly, as is the tradition. He also requested Dass to ensure "systematic proceedings" by preventing discussions or replies on a single question or issue from continuing for a prolonged period. PTI SSG SSG MNB