Will discharge my duty impartially: Om Birla

BJP MP Om Birla on Wednesday thanked political parties for unanimously electing him the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha and pledged to discharge his duties without bias.

"This Chair is impartial and it is meant to be impartial," Birla said in a brief speech after he was escorted to the Chair by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said his duty was to run the House impartially and in accordance with rules and regulations irrespective of which party various members were aligned with.

"We have several challenges ahead of us and also expectations of the people and we have to live up to their expectations," he said.

Birla said that since the government had got a mandate from the people, it should live up to their expectations and faith.

The Speaker urged the members to raise issues related to the people and said he expected the government to give satisfactory answers.

Birla thanked pro tem Speaker Virendra Kumar for conducting the House smoothly for two days.  IANS