Will see if unparliamentary words list applied in 'draconian manner': Shashi Tharoor

There has been massive Opposition uproar over certain words of common use being categorised as unparliamentary in a booklet by the Lok Sabha Secretariat

Amid the unparliamentary words row, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said he would treat the list of words as indicative rather than definitive and "speak normally" in the House and see whether it is applied in a "draconian manner" to stifle meaningful criticism.

In an interview with PTI, Mr. Tharoor said the list is a compilation of words that have been deemed unparliamentary by various presiding officers in the last couple of years, and asserted that what will matter is how it is applied in practice.

Some are regular words which feature in parliamentary debates all the time and it is possible they were expunged in a specific context that would not apply in other contexts, the former Union minister said.

"In any case a ruling by one presiding officer is not necessarily binding on another. So I would treat this list as indicative rather than definitive, I would speak normally and see whether it is applied in a draconian manner to stifle meaningful criticism," Mr. Tharoor said.

As always, implementation is the key, not the list itself, the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram asserted.

Asked about some seeing the list as a "gag order," Mr. Tharoor said it is not an instruction but an indication.

"Expunging always takes place after unparliamentary words have been spoken and not in anticipation. So no one need feel gagged," Mr. Tharoor said.