This is the reason why Amit Shah could speak yesterday in Rajya Sabha for more than an hour, uninterrupted

It was noted that the BJP President Amit Shah had his maiden speech at the Rajya Sabha. How well did the President’s debut speech go?

Amit Shah lambasted the Congress in his speech which he made in the Rajya Sabha today. He spoke for over an hour and on myriad issues – from farmers to corruption, GST, women, ‘chaiwala’, ‘pakoda’, power supply, toilets, gas, employment and health facilities to the people.

Amit Shah could not have chosen a better day and moment to make the speech.

Four factors helped Amit Shah to make one-and-a-half hour speech and touch on all relevant issues dogging the nation and the BJP.

1. MAIDEN SPEECH

Amit Shah was elected to the Rajya Sabha in August 2017. Later the same month, he was sworn in as a member of the Upper House.

The BJP president made his debut entry in Parliament as a Rajya Sabha MP on December 15 – the first day of winter session.

However, he did not speak in the Rajya Sabha throughout the winter session as if he waited for this day to make his maiden speech.

According to the parliamentary tradition, a member making a maiden speech is generally not interrupted – either by the other members or even by the presiding officer.

There is no restriction of time on an MP making a maiden speech. The presiding officer does not interrupt him or her.

Amit Shah had this advantage of making a maiden speech and, hence, he spoke for about 90 minutes without any hindrance.

READ ALSO: Selling ‘pakodas’ better than being jobless, says Amit Shah

2. MOTION OF THANKS TO PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

The maiden speech allowed Amit Shah to speak for over an hour while the speech on the motion of thanks to the President’s address facilitated covering a whole range of issues.

Had Amit Shah chosen to speak during a discussion on a specific issue – say, triple talaq or farmers or employment – he would have been restricted to dwelling on that topic only. He would not have had the liberty to speak on other topics.

However, an MP can touch all issues mentioned in the President’s speech while delivering a speech on motion of thanks to the latter’s address.

Hence, the BJP president spoke on all burning issues including former finance minister P Chidambaram’s ‘pakoda’ jibe, surgical strikes, Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ taunt, triple talaq, unemployment, Swachh Bharat Mission, simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and farmers’ distress.

Shah spoke on the motion: “That the Members of the Rajya Sabha assembled in this Session are deeply grateful to the President for the Address which he has been pleased to deliver to both Houses of Parliament assembled together on January 29, 2018.”

READ ALSO: Amit Shah tears into Congress in his maiden Rajya Sabha speech

3. HEAVYWEIGHT

A junior MP would not have got the same importance as Amit Shah got.

By virtue of being the BJP president, Amit Shah carries extra weight.

This allowed Amit Shah to speak for a long time.

4. PRESIDING OFFICER

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, who is the ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, was presiding over the house when Amit Shah initiated the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

Venkaiah Naidu was a senior BJP leader and Union minister in Modi Cabinet before he was elected as vice-president. This may have also helped Amit Shah to mete out a liberal treatment at the hands of the presiding officer.

Had the BJP not been ruling the Centre and a presiding officer of a rival party would have been on the chair, Amit Shah would not have got the same liberty.

Hence, the maiden speech of Amit Shah during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address with Venkaiah Naidu as the Rajya Sabha chairperson allowed the BJP president to speak for over an hour on a wide range of issues today.