Defying ethics and convention, Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri visited the AICC plenary on Monday
Defying ethics and convention, Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri visited the AICC plenary on Monday
Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta said that the speaker is a constitutional authority and cannot be a part of any political party. "The Lieutenant Governor should seek his dismissal. 
Load off the shoulders: Garlands offered to dignitaries at the Congress
plenary on Sunday, dumped in a wastebin yesterday morning. Pic/Imtiyaz Khan
We can't take it casually. This is a constitutional crisis. Since the time he took the oath, he is no more a party functionary," Gupta told MiD DAY.
Gupta's sentiments were echoed by others. "Though it is not a law, it is a convention that a speaker of any house should not attend any meetings, agitations, or processions organised by any political party," said CP Singh, Speaker of Jharkhand assembly.
"The day a person takes oath to function as a speaker of any house, he is supposed to be bound by his oath and should not have any alignment with any political party," said Amitabh Sinha, executive member of the BJP.
On the other hand, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President JP Agarwal said that persons holding constitutional positions can be asked to come as special invitees. Citing the case of Mumbai meetings during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as Congress President, he said that Gandhi had called a few governors as special invitees.u00a0 "I think they can attend as special invitees or spectators to see and hear the proceedings.
But it is understood that they won't be part of proceedings," said Agarwal, who had no idea whether Yoganand Shastri was in the list of delegates. Shastri himself was not available for comments.
| Powers of a speaker |
| The Speaker presides over the sessions of the House and conducts the business. He/she decides whether a bill is a money bill or a non-money bill. He/she maintains discipline and decorum in the House and can punish a member for their unruly behaviour by suspending them. He/she permits the moving of various kinds of motions and resolutions like the motion of no confidence, motion of adjournment, motion of censure and calling attention notice as per the rules. The Speaker decides on the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting. |
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