Assembly Speakers should take impartial decisions: Om Birla

Dehradun : Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday stressed on the neutrality of presiding officers in legislatures, saying they should take impartial decisions on defections in a time-bound manner which could not be questioned by the judiciary.

Birla said a committee of speakers of legislatures has also been formed to evaluate the provisions of the anti-defection law, which will soon submit its report.

"A speaker should be neutral and impartial and should take non-controversial decisions on defections in a time-bound manner while keeping in mind the dignity of his or her post," he told PTI on the sidelines of a two-day conference of the presiding officers of the legislatures.

"Decisions should be such on which no one can raise questions, including the judiciary," the Lok Sabha speaker said.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the conference, Birla described the defections as a "very serious issue" and said the 10th schedule of the Constitution has given many powers to the speaker.

Underlining that the speaker's role should be "neutral", he said, During deliberations on 10th schedule of the Constitution, speakers of the legislative assembly suggested that the power of disqualification should be with the Election Commission, sources said.

Some suggested that since the members are elected in the name of the party, they should tender their resignations to the party president and from there it should be submitted to the presiding officer, they said.

According to the sources, a speaker of one of the assemblies suggested that members who defect should be barred from becoming a minister.