Congress MPs meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over Rahul Gandhi ‘not being allowed to
Congress MPs meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over Rahul Gandhi ‘not being allowed to speak’
M.U.H
27/03/202580
Congress MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday to raise the issue of “the denial of opportunity” for Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak in the House, as it was adjourned when the Congress leader got up to speak.
The Congress’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi; general secretary K C Venugopal; whip Manickam Tagore; and 70 other MPs met Birla following the Speaker’s remarks asking Gandhi to adhere to the rules that members are expected to observe to uphold the dignity of the House.
Birla said members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that maintains the high standards and dignity of the House. “Especially, it is expected of the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself as per the rules,” the Speaker said. As Gandhi rose to speak, Birla adjourned the House.
After the adjournment, Gandhi told reporters that the House “was not being run as per democratic norms”. “After he said that, I said, look, as the LoP, let me speak. He just ran away. So, I don’t understand what is going on. This is no way to run the House. Literally, the Speaker got up and left and didn’t let me speak a word. He said something about me that was unsubstantiated. He got up and left and adjourned the House when there was no need. Whenever I get up, there is a convention that the LoP is allowed to speak. Whenever I stand, I should be allowed to speak. I don’t know how the House is being run. I am not allowed to speak,” said Gandhi.
When asked about the Speaker’s comments regarding Gandhi needing to remain within the limits of dignity, he responded, “I haven’t done anything. In the last seven or eight days, I have not been allowed to speak. This is a new way. Where there is space for Opposition and government in a democracy, here, there is no space for the Opposition. Only the government has space. When the PM spoke on Kumbh Mela, I wanted to add that it was good, and I wanted to say something about unemployment. But I wasn’t allowed to. I don’t know what the thinking of the Speaker is. I am the LoP, and our party is the main Opposition party. We are not allowed to speak.”
As Venugopal concluded his speech during a discussion on issues of public importance, Birla made remarks regarding the expected conduct of members. The reason for the Speaker’s observation was not immediately clear.
“Several instances have come to my notice where the conduct of members does not conform to the high standards,” he said. “In this House, father and daughter, mother and daughter, husband and wife have been members. In this context, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself in accordance with Rule 349, that deals with the rules to be observed by members in the House.”
“Especially, it is expected of the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself as per the rules,” the Speaker added.
