NEW DELHI: Former law minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said the resolution to remove the Lok Sabha speaker should not be weaponised to "satisfy the ego" of a leader.
Participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha on an opposition resolution to remove Om Birla as the speaker, Prasad said it is painful that the House is discussing such an issue, as the move is a "result of the ego of a leader".
He also cited constitutional provisions to counter the opposition's claim that the panel of chairpersons cannot run the House when the resolution for the removal of the speaker is being discussed. "The problem is that they (opposition) won't understand."
Quoting 'Practice and Procedure of Parliament', Prasad said the leader of the opposition should measure his words carefully, especially on issues of national security.
This led to uproar by opposition members.
Later, Dilip Saikia, who was chairing the proceedings, allowed Rahul Gandhi to respond to the allegation.
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said he was stopped from speaking in the House on multiple occasions.
Responding to allegations levelled by BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad, who cited Parliamentary procedures to claim that Leader of Opposition should measure his words carefully, especially on issues of national security, Gandhi said the House does not belong to any party but the entire country.
"Whenever we get up to speak, we are stopped from speaking. Lok Sabha does not represent one party but the entire country," he said.
Resuming his speech, Prasad alleged that Gandhi travelled to various countries where he mocked Parliament, the Constitution and the Election Commission.
The Congress won several elections in the past but was now targeting these very institutions, he claimed.