NEW DELHI: Hitting out at the government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, it is his right to speak in the House, a right he claimed, is being denied.
“I am the Leader of Opposition, it is my right. I am never allowed to speak,” Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament, as the House witnessed repeated adjournments on the first day of the Monsoon session.
His remarks came after opposition MPs, led by the Congress, created a ruckus demanding a discussion on Operation Sindoor. The House was adjourned twice amid noisy protests and slogan-shouting by the opposition benches.
“The question is that the Defence Minister and their (the BJP) people are allowed to speak, but if someone from the Opposition wants to say something, he is not allowed,” Gandhi said. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added, “He ran out of the House in a second.”
Gandhi asserted that the opposition merely wanted to make brief remarks but was denied the opportunity. Earlier in the day, Speaker Om Birla had attempted to restore order by assuring members that they would be allowed to raise issues after Question Hour, and urged them to follow due process.
Birla also confirmed that any member who submits a notice will be given time to speak. The House earlier paid tribute to eight former MPs, victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, and those killed in Ahmedabad plane crash.
‘Denied opportunity’
Rahul Gandhi asserted that the opposition merely wanted to make brief remarks but was denied the opportunity. His remarks came after opposition MPs, led by the Congress, created a ruckus demanding a discussion on Operation Sindoor.