Assam Assembly Speaker warns MLAs against quoting expunged Assembly proceedings

Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass on July 7 warned legislators against referring to or quoting remarks that have been expunged from Assembly proceedings outside the House, while calling for orderly conduct to improve the productivity of the ongoing Budget Session.

Addressing members after Question Hour on the second day of the session, Dass said issues that have already been settled should not be repeatedly brought up, amid exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches over repeated disruptions.

Referring to objectionable remarks made by an opposition MLA against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and another legislator on Monday, which had subsequently been expunged from the official records, the Speaker said there was no reason to revisit the matter.

"What has been expunged from proceedings, no one can quote it outside the House. Even the media cannot repeat it," Dass said.

The Speaker also asked ministers to keep their replies concise during Question Hour so that a greater number of questions could be taken up. He noted that the Assembly had introduced the practice of allowing supplementary questions to be asked together, enabling ministers to respond collectively and save time.

"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.

Appealing to all legislators to avoid unnecessary commotion, Dass said smoother proceedings would help improve the House's overall efficiency.

The discussion also saw Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika suggest that MLAs should refrain from addressing the media within the Assembly premises on issues that have not been formally raised inside the House.

Responding to the proposal, the Speaker declined to issue such a direction, stating that it would amount to an infringement of freedom of speech.

Hazarika argued that several legislators regularly speak to the media about issues without formally raising them during Assembly proceedings. He suggested that members wishing to protest over such matters should instead use the designated demonstration site at Chachal in Guwahati rather than make statements within the Assembly premises.

The proposal was opposed by Sherman Ali Ahmed, who said such a restriction would be an "attack on the freedom of speech", a view with which the Speaker concurred.

During the discussion, Congress MLA Abdur Rahim Ahmed urged the Speaker to ensure that the opposition receives priority in raising issues, describing it as a long-standing parliamentary convention. He also requested Dass to ensure "systematic proceedings" by preventing prolonged debates and replies on a single question or issue.