By IANS,
New Delhi : Meira Kumar, the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha, impressed the opposition MPs on her first day in chair, with many saying she will be a success in this role.
“She was very impressive as speaker. She is humble and able,” said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shahnawaz Hussain.
“She looked like a guardian… not like a headmaster,” Hussain told IANS.
Meira Kumar made history earlier in the day as the former diplomat and Dalit leader became the first woman to hold the prestigious constitutional position.
M.B. Rajesh, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP from Kerala, said Meira Kumar would be successful as speaker.
“She managed the proceedings effectively today. She silenced Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav when they engaged in a verbal spat. There was no sign of excessive interference,” said Rajesh.
Meira Kumar intervened to maintain order in the house when the two Yadav leaders from her home state of Bihar – Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and Janta Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadvav – exchanged heated arguments in the house.
The speaker issued a directive to reporters to expunge the arguments between them.
“She will be a successful speaker. Her speech was encouraging and impressive,” said Rajesh, a first time MP from Kerala.