New Delhi: Women MPs of Congress have written to the Lok Sabha Speaker expressing anguish over what they describe as baseless and defamatory allegations made against them under pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.Speaker Om Birla had claimed in the House on February 5 that he had advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come and deliver the reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address as he had received information that women Congress MPs had gathered around the Prime Minister’s chair and an untoward incident could have taken place.“After this when the Prime Minister was supposed to speak, I received information that Congress MPs had gathered around his seat and any untoward incident could have happened. If this took place it would have torn apart the country’s democratic structure. That is why I advised him not to come to the House and he heeded to my advice and stayed away from this unpleasant scene,” Birla had said.“The country has seen how the women MPs reached the prime minister’s chair. This was not necessary and was against the dignity of parliament,” he had later said.In a statement, the MPs also noted that Speaker Birla had failed to protect parliamentary conventions by denying the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, the right to speak, suspending INDIA alliance MPs, and allowing a BJP MP to make obscene remarks. They noted that the prime minister avoided parliament out of fear, not protest, and urged the Speaker to act impartially, uphold constitutional values, restore the parliament’s dignity, and resist political pressure.The letter is signed by S Jothimani, Sudha Ramakrishnan, Priyanka Gandhi, Varsha Gaikwad, Jyotsna Mahant, and Geniben Thakor.It is produced in full below.Honourable Speaker Sir,Subject: Regarding Baseless Allegations Against Women Members of Parliament and the Denial of the Opposition’s Parliamentary RightsWe write this letter with deep anguish and a strong sense of constitutional responsibility. It is extremely unfortunate that you, as the Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the constitutional custodian of this august House, have been forced by the ruling party to make false, baseless, and defamatory allegations against women Members of Parliament belonging to the Opposition, particularly from the Indian National Congress.Sir, the Speaker’s Chair is a constitutional office meant to protect the dignity of Parliament, ensure fairness, and safeguard the rights of all Members, irrespective of party affiliation. During the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, established parliamentary convention mandates that both the ruling party and the Opposition are allowed to speak, after which the Prime Minister replies. Yet, for the past four consecutive days, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Rahul Gandhi, has been deliberately denied this opportunity in the Lok Sabha. This is unprecedented and indefensible.On the other hand, eight Members of Parliament from the INDIA alliance were suspended at the behest of the ruling party, while a BJP Member of Parliament was permitted to speak in a vulgar and obscene manner about former Prime Ministers.When we met you and demanded justice, including the suspension of the above-mentioned BJP MP, you acknowledged that a grave mistake had occurred and asked us to return at 4 pm. Upon meeting you again, you stated that you were awaiting the government’s response regarding the issue, indicating that you were no longer the decision-maker in such matters. This raises serious questions about your authority as Speaker of the House.Subsequently, at 5 pm, violating conventional procedure, the Prime Minister was scheduled to speak in the Lok Sabha. All Members of the INDIA alliance rose in protest, and the Prime Minister failed to appear in the House.The following day, clearly under pressure from the ruling party to defend the Prime Minister’s non-appearance, you issued a statement making grave allegations against women MPs of the Congress Party. Sir, our protests have been unrelentingly peaceful, firm, and entirely within democratic norms. Most of us come from humble backgrounds and many are first-generation politicians. Our journeys have been built through decades of hard work among the people, often facing resistance and discrimination. Questioning our integrity is a grievous attack on every woman who earns her place in public life with dignity and courage.We are being targeted simply because we have consistently fought against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anti-people government and demanded accountability from him. His absence from the House was not due to any threat from us; it was an act of fear. He did not have the courage to face the Opposition.We are Members of Parliament from the Indian National Congress, a party that stands for love, peace, constitutional values, and human dignity. We do not believe in violence or intimidation. We are brave, elected women representatives who will not be silenced. We believe transparency is the only way to restore the dignity of the Speaker’s office and the credibility of this House.Sir, we have the utmost respect for your office and for your good self. However, it is amply clear that you are under sustained pressure from the ruling party. We urge you once again to act as the impartial custodian of the Lok Sabha. We assure you of our wholehearted support should you choose to uphold constitutional propriety.Let history remember you as one who stood for what was right in the most trying circumstances and upheld constitutional values for the good of the nation. Let it not remember you as one who bowed to pressure from those who seek to subvert constitutional principles and damage the democratic fabric of our country.Thanking you,Kind regards,Women Parliamentarians of the Indian National Congress