Speaker of Parliament Filimone Jitoko has ruled that remarks made by Opposition MP Virendra Lal regarding alleged temple break-ins were improper and breached Standing Orders, directing him to apologise to the House.
Delivering his ruling on a point of order raised by Minister Filimone Vosarogo, the Speaker said Mr Lal’s comments, made during debate on a ministerial statement by Sashi Kiran, went beyond the intent of promoting national unity.
“I accept Hon. Lal’s statement in his clarification that his intention was to support and reinforce the message of national unity,” Mr Jitoko said.
However, he noted that “things went awry” when Mr Lal cited incidents involving Hindu temples and attributed them to “ethno-nationalism and/or religious extremists” without evidence.
Mr Jitoko clarified that claims of a break-in at the Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Tavua were incorrect.
“The fact remains… there was no ‘break-in’ at the stated temple, let alone the claim that there were ‘two break-ins’ on the same night,” he said.
“Someone had trespassed into the compound and walked away with a hose and a wheelbarrow.”
He emphasised that “a person jumping over a neighbour’s fence does not amount to a break-in,” but may constitute trespass, a lesser offence under the law.
The Speaker further stressed that incidents of vandalism were not limited to one religion, noting that “other religious buildings including churches and mosques have also been targeted in the past.”
In his ruling, Mr Jitoko found that the remarks breached Standing Order 62(4)(d), which prohibits words likely to “promote or provoke feelings of ill-will or hostility between communities or ethnic groups within Fiji.”
“I find the objection raised… is of substance and valid,” he said.
Mr Jitoko directed that Mr Lal apologise to Parliament and that the official records reflect the ruling.
