New Delhi: A group of women MPs of Congress have written a strongly worded letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker About Birlaaccusing him of making “false and defamatory accusations” against them.The controversy erupted after Bella publicly said he advised the Prime Minister not to go to the House of Representatives over concerns that MPs could cause “inappropriate incidents” near the Prime Minister’s seat.In a three-page letter to Birla, Congress MP S. Jothimani and other women MPs categorically refuted the allegation, saying it was an attempt to divert attention from the government’s refusal to allow the opposition leader to speak.“We write this letter with deep pain and a strong sense of constitutional responsibility. It is extremely unfortunate that you, as Speaker of the Lok Sabha, are forced by the ruling party to make false, baseless and defamatory allegations against women MPs belonging to the opposition,” the letter read.“While discussing the motion of thanks to the President for his address, the established Parliamentary Assembly provides that both the ruling and opposition parties can speak, followed by the Prime Minister’s reply. However, over the past four days, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, has been deliberately denied this opportunity in the Lok Sabha. This is unprecedented and indefensible,” it added.The letter further claimed that eight MPs from the Indian Union were suspended at the behest of the government, while one MP from the BJP was allowed to make “vulgar and obscene” remarks against the former prime minister without facing any consequences.MPs also accused the Speaker of acting on government instructions rather than exercising independent powers.“When we met you, we demanded justice and suspension of the above-mentioned BJP MP, you admitted that a serious mistake had been made and asked us to return at 4 pm. When we met you again, you stated that you were waiting for the government’s response on the issue, which shows that you are no longer the decision-maker in such matters. This raises serious questions about your authority as Speaker of the House,” the letter said.MPs described Bella’s accusation that they had “insulted” the prime minister as an attack on their dignity and credibility.“We are being targeted only because we have been fighting against the anti-people government of Prime Minister Narender Modi and holding him accountable. His absence from the House is not due to any threat from us but an act of fear. He does not have the courage to face the opposition,” it added.The letter came after Speaker Om Birla issued a statement explaining why the prime minister’s scheduled reply in the Lok Sabha was cancelled, a charge the Congress has rejected.“When the Prime Minister was supposed to respond to the President’s address in the House, I received information that several MPs may have created an inappropriate incident near the Prime Minister’s chair… If such an incident occurred, it would tear apart the democratic tradition of the country. To prevent this from happening, I requested the Prime Minister not to come to the House,” Birla said.