What happened during the visit of the Presidential candidate Ms Droupadi Murmu where a BJP minister of the MDA Government stood up to interrupt the Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly while he was highlighting the concerns of tribal and religious minority states, reflects poorly on the legislative conduct of the Member. Such disruptions when the Speaker of the House is making a point before a visitor from outside the State is unprecedented. What was the need for the MLA to defend the BJP and call it a secular party? The entire country and indeed the world is best placed to judge the secular nature of the BJP or its absence. The BJP and its ideological partner the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been actively promoting Hindutva – a right wing ideology that leans towards Hinduism. Not only that but there is an all pervasive call for an India with one language, one culture and one religion. So much so that religious minorities feel threatened in the present India led by the NDA Government. Meghalaya Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh was only expressing the anxieties of the indigenous people of the State and region and he is well within his rights to do so. It was the South Shillong MLA, Sanbor Shullai who had over-stepped his brief and so the apology issued after the incident went public is only to be expected.
Some MLAs have the habit of making their points by banging their fists on the table and creating a scene. That is infantile behaviour not expected from lawmakers. What is curious about this case is that Shullai has taken offence that a discussion that is ostensibly held in a private location away from the prying eyes of the media should have been reported. Well, misbehaviour by an elected member who disrupted the speech of the Speaker of the Assembly in the august presence of the President elect cannot be dismissed as normal legislative behaviour which is why there are marshals in the Assembly to lead boisterous members outside the House. Unruly behaviour is not acceptable and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.
In July 2021, the Supreme Court while taking up a case related to the Kerala Assembly in 2015 said, it has to take a “strict” view of unruly behaviour of lawmakers in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies as such incidents are “increasing now-a-days” and this sort of conduct cannot be condoned. Indeed, unruly behaviour and disrupting someone’s speech is considered bad manners even in ordinary discourse. The MLA represents his people and his behaviour reflects badly on his constituents too, the Supreme Court had noted.
