Will use these words, suspend me": Derek O'Brien on 'unparliamentary' language

Banned words in parliament: Derek O'Brien and Mahua Moitra tweeted from Trinamool, as did the Congress' Jairam Ramesh.

Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien on Thursday challenged the government to act against him - 'suspend me', he tweeted - because he intends to use all of the words and phrases deemed unparliamentary in a new booklet issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat. Commonly-used words like 'ashamed', 'abused', 'betrayed' and 'corrupt' are among those that cannot be uttered in either the Upper or Lower House. Also on that list are phrases like 'snoopgate' - used widely by the opposition to attack the government over the Pegasus spyware row.

The monsoon session is scheduled to begin on July 18 and O'Brien, a member of the Lok Sabha, denounced the 'gag order' issued by the government.

"Session begins in a few days… Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in Parliament : Ashamed. Abused. Betrayed. Corrupt. Hypocrisy. Incompetent. I will use all these words."

"Suspend me. Fighting for democracy."

Trinamool Congress MP Derek OBrien tweeted after the Lok Sabha secretariat issued a new list of banned words and expressions for the monsoon session

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien tweeted after the Lok Sabha secretariat issued a new list of banned words and expressions for the monsoon session(Twitter/@derekobrienmp)

O'Brien's isnt' the only opposition voice to hit out at the government on this issue.

Party colleague Mahua Moitra, also a Lok Sabha MP, tweeted: "Basically government taken all words used by the opposition to describe how the BJP is destroying India & banned them."

Mahua Moitra unleashed a barrage of tweets criticising the banning of words, including a humorous jab that (for good measure) used several in one sentence.

"You mean I can't stand up in Lok Sabha and talk of how Indians have been betrayed by an incompetent government who should be ashamed of their hypocrisy?"

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra tweeted after the Lok Sabha secretariat issued a list of banned words and phrases for the new parliament session

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra tweeted after the Lok Sabha secretariat issued a list of banned words and phrases for the new parliament session(Twitter/@MahuaMoitra)

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said words used to 'describe the reality' of the Narendra Modi government had been blocked. "What next Vishguru?" he asked sarcastically.

Words and expressions are periodically declared unparliamentary in legislative bodies, but presiding officers have the last word in expunging such utterances.

When expunged they do not form part of the parliamentary records.

Included in the current list of banned words is the phrase 'sexual harassment', which is among the more than 40 words and expressions red-flagged for next week's session.

Updated on Jul 14, 2022 12:28 PM IST

By HT News Desk