Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, March 26, accused Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of denying him the chance to speak, claiming that the proceedings were being conducted in an “undemocratic manner.”
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi expressed his frustration over his repeated requests to raise crucial issues, including the recently concluded Maha Kumbh and the rising problem of unemployment, being consistently ignored.
“I don’t know what is happening… I asked him (the Speaker) to let me speak, but he just walked away and didn’t allow me to. This is no way to run the House,” Gandhi said, adding that he had been prevented from speaking even though he had been sitting quietly in the House. “There is no place for democracy here,” he emphasized.
Gandhi’s comments followed Speaker Om Birla’s instruction for him to adhere to the rules of procedure that members must observe to maintain the dignity of the House. The exact reason for the Speaker’s remark was not immediately clear.
Gandhi stated that the Speaker had made unfounded remarks about him and then adjourned the House without offering him an opportunity to speak. He noted that, over the past week, he had not been allowed to address the House.
In response, Speaker Birla mentioned that there had been several instances where the conduct of members did not meet the high standards expected in the House. “In this House, we have had father and daughter, mother and daughter, husband and wife as members. In this context, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself in accordance with Rule 349, which outlines the rules that members must follow to maintain the dignity of the House,” Birla said. “It is especially important for the Leader of the Opposition to abide by these rules,” he added.
In support of Gandhi, around 70 Congress Lok Sabha MPs, including deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi, party general secretary KC Venugopal, and party whip Manickam Tagore, met with the Lok Sabha Speaker to raise concerns about the “denial” of the opportunity for Gandhi to speak in the House, according to party sources.
