Leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri on Tuesday flayed chief minister Jai Ram Thakur for justifying speaker Rajiv Bindal's involvement in the bypoll campaigning by saying that "in many other states too, speakers had campaigned".
This comes a day after the state Congress submitted a memorandum to chief electoral officer (CEO), accusing the BJP regime of misusing government machinery. The party demanded that the Vidhan Sabha speaker be banned from campaigning in favour of party candidates as he holds a constitutional post which does not permit him to indulge in such an act.
The party said specific complaints had been filed against Bindal before the CEO with evidence of his addressing election meetings at Naina Tikkar on October 4 and in Thakur Dwara on October 10.
Agnihotri said the saffron party is setting "new standards in electoral malpractices with each poll and taking the democratic processes to a new low".
"We will take up the matter with the Lok Sabha speaker. In case no action is taken by the election commission against those violating the model code of conduct, the party will be compelled to approach the president so that no speaker dares to dishonour the sanctity of the chair he holds," the leader of opposition said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.
He said the chief minister's defence of Bindal indicated as if he was himself encouraging Bindal to campaign actively. The Congress leader challenged the chief minister to cite one instance in the country where speaker of the assembly has campaigned in byelections.
"The chief minister is virtually defending the speaker which is a grave impropriety. Bindal was elected by a majority but he has to remain above party affiliation to conduct the House as its neutral chairperson. Most leaders resign from party after being elected as speaker upholding the highest democratic norms and to reinforce the neutral character of the office," he said.
'TAKE CUE FROM YOUR VETERAN'
The Congress leader advised Thakur to take lessons on democratic norms from veteran BJP leader Shanta Kumar who, during his tenure, ensured that Shrawan Kumar resigned as speaker before taking part in Janata Party Legislative meeting in July 1979.
The crucial party meet was convened for trial of strength between Shanta Kumar and his rival Kishori Lal during tussle over leadership.
"It was an internal party meeting and not a floor test. Still the speaker was asked to resign before taking part in party matters," said Agnihotri, adding that it was appalling that Thakur was contradicting Kumar's leadership by justifying open canvassing by both speaker and deputy speaker.
"It reflects the saffron party's decline and its blatant attempts to undermining democracy," he said.