Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena MP in the Rajya Sabha, aptly summed up the move when she said, "Since speaking these words from the report will be considered unparliamentary, so we are just left with saying; Wah Modiji, Wah!"

Syed Ali Mujtaba

SOME words and expressions are declared unparliamentary ahead of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament scheduled to start on Monday, July 18, 2022.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has released a booklet with the list of the ‘banned words and phrases which cannot be used by the Parliamentarians and are made ready for their future reference.

The booklet compiled by the Lok Sabha Secretariat has a list of Hindi and English words that cannot be used in Parliament.

Unparliamentary Words

The Hindi words such as  ‘Shakuni’, ‘taanashahi’, ‘Jaichand’, ‘Khalistani’, ‘vinash purush’, ‘khoon se kheti,’ ‘jumlajeevi’, ‘dohra charitra’, ‘baal buddhi’, ‘kala din’, ‘kala bazaari’, ‘gaddar’, ‘girgit’, ‘ghadiyali ansu’, ‘ahankaar’, and ‘khareed farokht’ are declared unparliamentary.

The booklet has also  listed other Hindi words like ‘dohra charitra’, ‘nautanki’, ‘dhindora peetna’, ‘nikamma’, and ‘behri sarkar’ as unparliamentary expressions that would be expunged if used during debates or otherwise in both the Houses.

Among the English words use of ‘dictatorial’, ‘corrupt’ ‘anarchist’, bloodshed, ”bloody’, ‘betrayed’, ‘ashamed’, ‘abused’, ‘cheated’, ‘goons’ ‘criminal’ and ‘crocodile tears’ Snoopgate’, and others are declared unparliamentary.

The list of expressions also includes any aspersion made against the Chair in both the Houses in either English or Hindi, which shall be considered as unparliamentary and will be expunged from the records of Parliament.

The booklet mentions that some of the keywords may not appear unparliamentary unless read in conjunction with the other expressions spoken during the proceedings.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker will have the last word in expunging words and expressions.

The booklet says the Rajya Sabha Chairman or the Lok Sabha Speaker will vet the words spoken in the House during the session and unparliamentary words would be expunged by the Chair and would not form part of the Parliament records.

‘Gag order on MPs’

The booklet has outraged the Opposition leaders who called it a ‘gag order on MPs.’

Senior TMC leader and MP, Derek O’Brien, said, “Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in Parliament but I will use all these words fighting for democracy.”

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena MP in the Rajya Sabha, criticised the booklet saying: “Since speaking these words from the report will be considered unparliamentary, so we are just left with saying; Wah Modiji, Wah! “
______________

Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com