Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes MPs are not given enough time to speak in Parliament, says NDA ally
Union Minister Manjhi writes to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla flagging the concern raised by a BJP MP at a meeting of NDA parliamentarians
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, expressing concern that Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) do not receive enough speaking time during parliamentary discussions on important Bills. Manjhi, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and is an ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), cited a meeting of NDA MPs held on August 5 at his residence.
At this meeting, BJP Lok Sabha MP Gajendra Singh Patel, representing a reserved tribal constituency in Madhya Pradesh, highlighted the issue. Patel stated that the problem was raised by multiple MPs present at the gathering, though he emphasized it was an informal recommendation. Both Manjhi and Patel reiterated the need for all parliamentarians to have the right to speak in the House.
This issue arises as the BJP has seen a decline in its share of seats reserved for SCs and STs in the 2024 Lok Sabha election compared to 2019.
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