Who switches off the mike in the House, what are the rules? When Rahul-Akhilesh were stopped from speaking, it became an issue.

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When the mike of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was switched off in the House, it was made an issue.

The switching off or switching on of ‘Mike’ in Parliament, the temple of Indian democracy, often becomes a subject of heated debate and controversy. Recently, allegations of mike being switched off during the speeches of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have heated up this issue again.

The opposition alleges that the mic is switched off to suppress their voice, while the ruling party and the parliamentary secretariat call it a part of the technical process and rules.

Who controls the mic?

During the proceedings of the House, the control of the mic lies directly with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the presiding officer presiding over the House. However, the speakers themselves do not press any buttons. Near his seat there is a technical team and secretariat officials who carry out the instructions of the Speaker. According to the rules of Parliament, the mike of only that member is turned on who has been given permission by the Speaker to speak. As soon as the Speaker calls the name of another member or directs the member speaking to sit, the technical team switches off the microphone of the previous member.

What are the rules related to this?

Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business have been made for the functioning of the Lok Sabha. Following are the main points regarding the mic.

  • Chairman’s permission: Under Rule 350, any member can speak only when called by the Speaker. If a member stands up and starts speaking without permission, his microphone is not switched on.
  • Removing irrelevant elements: If a member uses language which is unparliamentary or against the dignity of the House, the Speaker can order expungement. Even in such a situation the mic can be switched off.
  • Time Limit: Time is allotted to each team based on its member number. At the end of the time, the Speaker signals the member to end his speech and then the mike is switched off automatically or as per instructions.
  • Interruption status: If there is a lot of noise in the House and the Speaker is about to adjourn the proceedings, then all the mikes are switched off so that the chaos is not recorded.

Issue of Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav

Two prominent opposition leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, have described the mic being switched off as a symbol of ‘murder of democracy’ and suppressing the voice of the opposition. Rahul Gandhi has many times alleged that when he speaks on sensitive topics like Adani issue or caste census, his mike is switched off. He argues that as an MP he has the constitutional right to express his views. Recently, when Akhilesh Yadav was speaking in the House and made some sharp comments in support of Rahul Gandhi, his mike got switched off. Akhilesh called it a violation of the dignity of the House and the rights of the members.

Parliament

On what issue was the mike switched off?

In fact, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, while speaking on the motion of thanks on the President’s address last Monday, said that several Chinese tanks had reached the Indian border in Doklam. He mentioned the book of former Army Chief Naravane. Also discussed a magazine. After this Defense Minister Rajnath Singh interrupted him.

He said that Rahul Gandhi should tell whether the book has been published or not? They should not mislead the House. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla insisted on keeping the book in the House. After this, many ministers and MPs from the ruling party were seen opposing Rahul’s speech. The uproar continued during Rahul’s 46-minute speech. When Akhilesh Yadav stood up in his support and started talking about the sensitive issue of China in the interest of the country, his mike was switched off after some time.

Why do questions arise often?

There are many political and technical reasons behind raising questions on the microphone being switched off and it also has implications. The opposition believes that ministers and MPs from the ruling party are given more flexibility to speak, while the mics of opposition leaders are immediately switched off as soon as the time limit is over. When a debate is going on on an important issue and suddenly the mike is switched off, it sends a message to the public that the government wants to hide something or is afraid of the debate.

The proceedings of Parliament are telecast live. With the mic turned off, the public watching on TV sees only visuals, not sound. This creates a situation of confusion and anger. In India, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha usually comes from the ruling party, hence, every decision he takes is seen through a political lens. Because of this, disputes often arise.

Mic control in the House is more a disciplinary tool than a technical one. While on one hand it is essential to follow the rules for the smooth running of the House, on the other hand it is also necessary to ensure that the legitimate voice of the opposition is not suppressed on technical grounds.

The strength of democracy lies in the fact that every member within the House feels that his voice is being heard. Switching off the mic is not just a technical action, but a symbol of continuity of communication. If this controversy arises again and again, then perhaps the time has come to make the process of operating the mic more transparent so that no questions are raised on the impartiality of the presiding officer.

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