"Strikes at heart of parliamentary democracy": Congress' Manickam Tagore questions govt on vacant Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker chair
Feb 15, 2026
"The post of Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha has been lying vacant for seven long years. This is not a small procedural lapse -- it strikes at the heart of parliamentary democracy. Under Article 93 of the Constitution of India, the House shall choose a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker. The word is not "may." It is shall. Yet under Narendra Modi's government, the Deputy Speaker's chair remains empty," Tagore posted on 'X'.