Staffers of the Lok Sabha Secretariat in the case of the Lower House and Rajya Sabha Secretariat staffers actually switch on and off mics in Parliament in a chamber that has an electronic board with all the seat numbers.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged that microphones in Parliament are switched off and his voice silenced. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, on Wednesday wrote to Speaker Om Birla, alleging that his microphone had been muted for three days.
Their allegations have brought to the fore a question: Who actually turns on or off the microphones of Members of Parliament? And what are the protocols?
Every Member of Parliament has a designated seat. The microphones are attached to the desks and have a number.
There is a chamber in both Houses of Parliament where sound technicians sit. They are the group of staff who transcribe and record the proceedings of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The chamber has an electronic b...