UNPARLIAMENTARY WORDS
Source: indianexpress
Context: Ahead of the monsoon session, a 50-page compilation of words deemed unfit for use in parliament, released by the Loksabha secretariat
The new list of words and phrases was disallowed not only in the parliament but also in various assemblies in states
The Rules
- Article 105(2) of the constitution lays down that " no member of parliament shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote was given by him/her in the parliament or any committee thereof" MP's do not enjoy the freedom to say whatever they want inside the house
- Whatever an MP says is subject to the Rules of Parliament, the "good sense" of Members, and the control of proceedings by the speaker
- These checks ensure that MP's cannot use "defamatory or indecent or unidentified or unparliamentary words" inside the house
- Rule 380 (Expunction) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in loksabha says " If the speaker is of the opinion the words have been used in the debate which is defamatory or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified, the speaker may while exercising the discretion order that such words be expunged from the proceedings of the house
- Rule 381 says " The portion of the proceedings of the house so expunged shall be marked by asterisks and explanatory footnote shall be inserted in the proceedings as follows: Expunged as ordered by the chair"
Unparliamentary expressions
There are phrases and words, literally in thousands, in English and Indian languages that are considered unparliamentary
The Loksabha speaker and Rajyasabha chairman have the job of keeping the words out of parliament's records
For reference, the Loksabha secretariat bought a book titled "Unparliamentary expressions"
It has several words and phrases which are considered offensive and rude in most cultures
It also has likely to be seen as fairly harmless or innocuous, the state assemblies are also guided mainly by this book, first compiled in 1999, and last updated in 2009.
- At that time (1999), references were taken from the debates and phrases declared unparliamentary by the pre-Independence Central legislative assembly, the constituent assembly of India, The provisional parliament, the first to 10th Loksabha and Rajyasabha, state legislatures, and commonwealth parliaments like that of United Kingdom
How the list is prepared
- According to the Loksabha secretariat " if a member uses a word that could be unparliamentary or undignified and hurts the decorum or dignity of the house, the head of the reporting section sends it to the speaker or the presiding officer citing relevant rules and precedence with a recommendation to expunge them
- The speaker has the decretion under rule 380 to expunge the word or usage. Once the speaker does so, it comes back to reporting section, which removes the word from the records and mentions in the proceedings as "expunged as ordered by the chair"
- At the end of the session, a compilation of words removed from the records, along with a reason, is sent to the speaker, Sansad Tv and the editorial service for information
- The editorial section prepares a list of all these expressions used in the Indian Parliament, state legislatures and other parliaments to release as new additions
Instances
- Loksabha Speaker had removed the word "Godse" from the list of unparliamentary words in 2015 after Shiv Sena leader Nashik Hemant Tukaram Godse had made a plea for its removal
- The Word (Godse) was expunged in 1958 when a member equated Jawaharlal Nehru as Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi on the floor of the house
- Once BJP leader Sushama swaraj said "Ye Pakistan jhoot Bol Raha hai". They could not remove the word Jhoot, so used it on record within quote marks
