SC/ST MPs are not given enough time to speak in Parliament, says NDA ally

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi , in a letter addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, has said that MPs belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are not “given adequate time” to speak during discussions on important Bills in Parliament.

Mr. Manjhi heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), an ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

In his letter dated September 16, Mr. Manjhi referred to an “NDA sansad samooh samvaad baithak ” (NDA MP Group Dialogue Meeting) held at his residence on August 5. He said that BJP Lok Sabha MP Gajendra Singh Patel, who represents Khargone, a reserved tribal constituency in Madhya Pradesh, had pointed out that MPs belonging to SC/ST communities were not being given adequate time to speak during discussions on important Bills in Parliament. Mr. Manjhi urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to take steps to rectify the situation.