File photo of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
The Congress and Government on Tuesday traded barbs over the post of Leader of the Opposition(LOP) in Lok Sabha with the main opposition even bringing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in its line of fire on the issue.
Amarinder Singh, who is the Congress' deputy leader in the House, said the party has written to the Speaker, who is new, staking claim for the post and she is yet to take a decision.
"This means a decision will be taken in consultation with the government. This means whatever the government will want
will happen," he told reporters in Parliament complex.
Another senior Congress leader Kamal Nath added his bit to the criticism of the Speaker saying "some parties are feeling that many of the issues which they want to raise are not being given importance which they need to be given."
As for the government, it reacted angrily saying the Congress' views reflected its "desperation" while Ms Mahajan declined to wade into the LoP controversy.
Ms Mahajan maintained that it was her endeavour to give equal time to all. "This is indeed my effort that all parties get equal chance to speak and I am striving for it," she told reporters.
Asserting that the post of Leader of Opposition Sabha is its "right", the Congress party accused the government of playing "petty politics" over the issue and hoped the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will not allow her judgement to be "coloured" by politics.
"The post of LoP is a right of the Congress. It is not for the government to give it to us. It is important, inherent and necessary for the proper functioning of a Parliamentary democracy."
"Both as the biggest party and also the biggest pre-poll alliance other than the ruling alliance, the Congress is a natural claimant for the post of LoP," party spokesperson Randip Surjewala told reporters here.
Hitting back at the Congress, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Javadekar said that "casting aspersions" on the Speaker was "outrageous, condemnable and unacceptable".
"If people have not given them mandate to rule, people have not even chosen 55 of them, what can we don? How can we help?" he said.
To cast aspersions on the Speaker, Mr Javadekar said, shows the desperation of the Congress.
Ms Mahajan is yet to take a decision on the issue of Leader of Opposition in the lower house.