New Delhi, Feb. 15 -- Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday raised concerns that the position of Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker has remained vacant for seven years under the current Narendra Modi-led NDA regime, saying that it was not a small procedural lapse, but strikes at the heart of parliamentary democracy.

He emphasised that Article 93 of the Constitution requires the House to elect both a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker, and that leaving the position vacant violates this requirement.

"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 Speake...