Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of allegedly not allowing him to speak in the Parliament.
Talking to reporters, Congress Leader Gandhi said, “I requested him to let me speak but he (Speaker) just ran away. This is no way to run the House.” The LoP also claimed that the Lok Sabha Speaker made an “unsubstantiated remark” about him before adjourning the House.
“There is a convention to let the LoP speak, but whenever I stand up, I am not allowed to speak,” he said.
Speaking about his conduct in the house, Gandhi added, “I did nothing, I was sitting quietly… I have not been allowed to speak for the last 7-8 days.” Further, the Congress MP also said, “In a democracy, there is a place for the Opposition and the government. Here, there is no place for the Opposition…”
Talking about his intention to speak about Maha Kumbh and unemployment, Gandhi said that he was not allowed to speak in the House.
“Prime Minister ji spoke on Maha Kumbh, and I also wanted to speak on (Maha) Kumbh Mela. I wanted to say that Kumbh Mela was very good. I also wanted to speak on unemployment but I wasn’t allowed. I don’t know what the approach and thinking of the Speaker are, but the truth is we are not allowed to speak,” he added.
On the other hand, the LS Speaker asked the LoP to follow the rules of the House and maintain the conduct, the news agency ANI reported.
The LS Speaker said, “It is expected of you to uphold the high parameters of decorum and sanctity of the House. There are several incidents in my knowledge when MPs conduct was not in accordance with upholding the high parameters of decorum and sanctity of the House.”
“Fathers, daughters, mothers, wife, and husbands have been Members of this House. So, in this context, I expect the LoP to conduct as per the rules… It is especially expected of the LoP to maintain their conduct,” he added and adjourned the House.
