Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expunged portions of Rahul Gandhi's speech, questions were raised over the efficacy of this move in times of live telecast and digital media.
Rule 380 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha vests the Speaker with power to order expunction of words — which in his opinion are «defamatory, or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified» — from the proceedings of the House.
Birla ordering expunction of Gandhi's remarks, including on Hinduism, means that parts of the speech will not be included in official record. It also means that expunged parts will be erased from video recordings of Lok Sabha TV. This is done to make it consistent with the official printed version. So while Gandhi may have scored immediate political brownie points with his speech in Lok Sabha, the expunction will mean that official records will not reflect the deleted portions.
In times when elections are also fought on social media, does the official record matter? It does, say experts. Expunction means criminal proceedings can be initiated if these are carried and the House can order them to be taken down. Any TV channel or digital media platform can be ordered to take down the expunged parts.
Expunging speech against tenets of democracy, says Rahul Gandhi in letter to Speaker
Ravindra Garimella, former joint secretary (legislation) Lok Sabha Secretariat, told ET: «Once it is expunged from the record, no TV channel or media outlet can carry it. If any newspaper or media
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