Pandemonium broke out in the Lok Sabha on Monday after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi sought to speak, citing an assurance from the Speaker that he would be given an opportunity. The uproar led to repeated disruptions, forcing the Chair to adjourn the proceedings of the Lower House till 11 am on Tuesday.
Raising the issue amid the din, Gandhi questioned whether he would be allowed to speak, maintaining that the Speaker had earlier assured him.
Replying to him, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the speaker tried to resolve the deadlock and he said that every member of the House would be allowed to speak.
“The Speaker had said that if a solution is found and house functions then Rahul Gandhi, followed by other party leaders, and parliamentary affairs minister will speak,” he said.
Lok Sabha has been witnessing disruptions since February 3 after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was disallowed by the chair from quoting from an article based on excerpts of former Army chief M M Naravane's 'unpublished memoir' in which he has referred to the India-China conflict of 2020.
Opposition likely to move no-confidence motion against OM Birla
The Congress accused the government of limiting the role of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, saying there is hardly any room left for dissent in the House. Senior Congress leader and MP KC Venugopal reacted to reports that opposition MPs may consider moving a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, saying "wait for action"
Venugopal said that opposition members, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, are not being given enough opportunities to speak during proceedings. He claimed that their views are often ignored or blocked.
"You see what is happening in Parliament. You can see in this session, the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is not being allowed to speak anything in this House. The government side can speak anything. They can attack anybody, speak derogatory things, even against those who are not alive.
The Speaker is making allegations against Congress women MPs. There is no space for opposition in this house at all," he said while talking to reporters.
