Miscellaneous - This Day That Age   

dated May 30, 1957: Privilege motions

The Lok Sabha experienced on May 29 the first walkout since the general elections. The walkout, in which Socialist and Communist members were involved, was staged as a protest against the Speaker's ruling that it was not obligatory on him to place before the House every privilege motion tabled by a member. A couple of PSP members joined their Communist and Socialist colleagues in questioning the Speaker's ruling, but the leader of the PSP group, Mr. J.B. Kripalani, prevented them from participating in the walkout. Another Opposition member who remained in the chamber was the only Muslim League member of the House, Mr. B. Pocker. The incident was touched off when Mr. Anthony Pillai (Socialist-Madras) stood up repeatedly to ask what had happened to his motion of privilege. He had also tried unsuccessfully to raise the issue the previous day. The Speaker, Mr. M. Ananthasayanam Iyengar, held that unless he gave permission to the member to refer to the question, he could not interrupt the proceedings of the House in this manner. Quoting the relevant rule, he said that if the Speaker felt there was no prima facie case, it was open to him not to bring it before the House. In this particular instance he felt that there was no substance in Mr. Anthony Pillai's motion. If the member disagreed with him, he could see him in his chamber and convince him. Mr. Anthony Pillai argued that the practice in the House of Commons was different. The Speaker replied that the Lok Sabha was bound by the Commons practice only in those matters which were not covered by its own rules.

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