P Chidambaram trolls 50-page compilation of words considered unfit for use in Parliament

|HT|

In a swipe at a 50-page compilation of words deemed unfit for use in Parliament, Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said that Parliament is only “trying to expand your limited vocabulary.” A major row erupted after a new booklet by Lok Sabha secretariat had the updated list of unparliamentary words including 'jumlajeevi', 'ashamed', 'taanashah', 'abused', 'betrayed', 'corrupt', 'drama', 'hypocrisy', 'incompetent'. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asserted that "no words have been banned" but only expunged on the basis of context and all members are free to express their views. He told a media briefing that bringing out such a booklet of unparliamentary words and expressions has been a practice since 1954 and is updated routinely including expunged words from state legislatures as well.

“Parliament has not 'banned' any words. Parliament is only trying to expand your limited vocabulary,” tweeted Chidambaram.

"Don't be 'ashamed'. Just say you are 'mortified' by the Government's conduct. Don't call the government 'corrupt'. Just say they have stolen the people's money. Don't accuse the government of enacting a 'drama'. Just say the Government is staging a play," the former Union minister said. He added, “Let the government run to the Speaker and the Chairman and beg them to ban 'mortified', 'stolen' and 'play'.” In a series of tweets, the Rajya Sabha member also asked will it be right to describe the government as unparliamentary if it is 'incompetent'.

"If the law is 'abused' by the investigating agencies, will it be correct to accuse them of unparliamentary behaviour and haul them up before the Committee on Privileges?" he said.

Another senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh also said that the clarification from Lok Sabha speaker “doesn’t mean much.”

“In all discussions, media seems to have overlooked that they can’t report on these comments in their dispatches. Also, print media will have to think twice before using these words in their articles,” he tweeted.

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