New Delhi [India], June: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to initiate the process of electing a Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, a position that has remained vacant for two consecutive terms.
Kharge, in his letter, highlighted that this is the first time in independent India’s history that the Deputy Speaker post has been left unoccupied across two Lok Sabhas—17th and now the 18th.
“This concerning precedent violates well-laid-out constitutional provisions and does not augur well for India’s democratic polity,” Kharge said, invoking Article 93 of the Constitution, which mandates the election of both Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House.
Emphasizing the importance of the Deputy Speaker as the second-highest presiding officer, he added:
“In keeping with the traditions and democratic ethos of our Parliament, I request you to initiate the election process without further delay.”
The letter comes amid a broader critique by Kharge of the Modi government’s 11-year tenure, which he claims has damaged democratic institutions, weakened federalism, and fostered an atmosphere of “hatred, fear, and suppression.”
In a sharp post on X, Kharge wrote:
“In the last 11 years, the Modi government has caused severe damage to Indian democracy, economy, and social fabric. BJP-RSS weakened every constitutional institution and attacked their autonomy.”
He also criticized key government schemes like Make in India, Digital India, and 100 Smart Cities, calling them failures. Kharge further alleged increased marginalization of Dalits, tribals, minorities, and pointed to the situation in Manipur as evidence of growing societal unrest.
Concluding his attack, he said:
“The Modi government has wasted 11 years rubbing the ink of dictatorship on every page of the Constitution.”