Lok Sabha Speaker says no word is banned, it is expunged

Amid a massive backlash over an updated list of words deemed unfit for parliament that included elemental terms like "corrupt" and "irresponsible", Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday   reacted to the opposition's backlash over the list of words that have been marked as 'unparliamentary'. Words that have been expunged have been used in the Parliament by the Opposition as well as the party in power. No selective expunging of words used by only Opposition...no words banned, have removed words that were objected to previously," Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said during a briefing on the matter. "Members free to express their views; no one can snatch that right but should be as per decorum of Parliament," he added.

The list was merely a compilation of expressions that had been scrubbed off records in the past."Earlier a book of such unparliamentary words used to be released... to avoid wastage of papers, we have put it on internet. no words have been banned, we have issued a compilation of the words that have been expunged," Birla said. "Have Opposition read this 1,100-page dictionary, comprising unparliamentary words? If they had... would not have spread misconception... It's been released in 1954, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2010... began releasing on a yearly basis since 2010," he added. 

The Lok Sabha secretariat on Wednesday has issued a new booklet listing unparliamentary words for both houses. Jumlajeevi', 'baal buddhi', 'Covid spreader' and 'Snoopgate' have joined everyday expressions like 'ashamed', 'abused, 'betrayed', 'corrupt', 'drama', 'hypocrisy' and 'incompetent' in a list of words deemed unfit for parliament ahead of a new session starting Monday. During the session, the use of words like ‘anarchist’, ‘Shakuni’, ‘dictatorial’, ‘taanashah’, ‘taanashahi’, ‘Jaichand’, ‘vinash purush’, ‘Khalistani’ and ‘khoon se kheti’ would also be expunged if used during debates or otherwise in both the houses. Some of the Hindi words listed as unparliamentary include ‘gaddar’, ‘girgit’, ‘chamcha’, ‘chamchagiri’, ‘chelas’, ‘ghadiyali ansu’, ‘apmaan’, ‘asatya’, ‘ahankaar’, ‘corrupt’, ‘kala din’, ‘kala bazaari’ and ‘khareed farokht’.Besides words like 'disgrace', 'donkey', 'drama', 'eyewash', 'fudge', 'hooliganism', 'hypocrisy', 'incompetent', 'mislead', 'lie' and 'untrue' would also be prohibited for use in Parliament henceforth. Words like 'danga', 'dalal', 'daadagiri', 'dohra charitra', 'bechara', 'bobcut', 'lollypop', 'vishwasghat', 'samvedanheen', 'foolish', 'pitthu', 'behri sarkar' and 'sexual harassment' would be considered as unparliamentary and would not be included as part of record.

Lashing out at the government’s decision to designate certain words as unparliamentary, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said that he would ensure that he uses such “basic” terms. He also challenged the Speaker to suspend him. “GAG ORDER ISSUED ON MPs. Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in #Parliament : Ashamed. Abused. Betrayed. Corrupt. Hypocrisy. Incompetent,” the TMC leader tweeted. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh said that all words used to “describe the reality” of the Modi government will now be considered ‘unparliamentary’. “What next Vishguru?” Words and expressions that are declared unparliamentary by the Chair in state legislatures as well as in the Parliament have been compiled by the Lok Sabha Secretariat for ready reference in the future. However, the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker will have the last word in expunging words and expressions.