Bhopal, Mar 21 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday lashed out at Congress over a 'no confidence' motion against Assembly Speaker Girish Gautam.
Even after the Speaker agreed to allow discussion on 'no confidence' motion brought by the Congress, Mishra, who is also parliamentary affairs minister of the state assembly, opposed the decision arguing that "if it will set up a wrong precedence."
The Congress had brought 'no confidence' motion against Assembly Speaker Girish Gautam for his decision to suspend former minister and Congress MLA Jitu Patwari from the House for entire budget session for allegedly sharing false information.
Accusing the Speaker of being 'biased' and 'acting at behest of the ruling BJP', the Congress had then brought a 'no confidence' motion against him in the first week of this month.
On Tuesday, the opposition asked the Speaker to allow for discussion over 'no confidence' motion against him. Speaker Girish Gautam agreed with the Congress legislatures demand and fixed the March 27 for discussion on the matter.
However, Narottam Mishra opposed the decision saying - "No confidence motion can not be brought against the Speaker."
"If the opposition has any doubt on Speaker's role, they should bring a 'sankalp patra' resolution letter. If today this no confidence motion was accepted, it would set up a wrong precedence in history of Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. It has never happened before it, but the Congress wants to set a wrong president, which is totally unacceptable," Mishra argued.
Mishra further said he has been asserting the same things since the day 'no confidence' against the Assembly Speaker was brought in the House, however, the Congress was in 'sleeping mode' and now "when just one day is left for the budget session, they (Congress leaders) have got up."
Meanwhile, he also alleged that the Congress legislatures did not support their leader in the House.
"Govind Singh is the Leader of the Opposition in the House, but the Congress leaders are not supporting him. They are following the directions given by Kamal Nath, who never sit in the House even for a single day. Even when he (Kamal Nath) was chief minister, he did not sit in the House for a day. Groupism in the Congress is in a way that they are sidelining their own leader- Govind Singh."