Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad strongly criticised Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, accusing him of failing to maintain the dignity of Parliament. Speaking during the debate on the resolution seeking the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Prasad said that the no-confidence motion had been brought not out of genuine concern but to "satisfy someone's ego," indirectly referring to Rahul Gandhi.
'PM can never be compromised'
Defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prasad said that Rahul Gandhi's earlier remarks about alleged compromises made by the Prime Minister were baseless. "I would like to remind the LoP that the Prime Minister of India can never be compromised," he said. He also rebuked the Opposition, urging them not to misuse parliamentary instruments for personal political battles. "Let the instrument of Opposition against the Speaker not be weaponised to satisfy the ego of some leader or some group," Prasad added.
The BJP leader highlighted instances from past Lok Sabha sessions, recalling how 11 MPs were expelled for accepting money to ask questions, and how black pepper was once thrown inside the House. Despite such events, he said, there were no dramatic protests like the present moment.
What did Rahul Gandhi say?
Earlier in the debate, Rahul Gandhi claimed he was prevented from speaking during previous sessions, especially when raising what he called "fundamental questions" regarding the Prime Minister. He said he was interrupted when he attempted to refer to former Army chief General MM Naravane and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
"Every time we get up to speak, we are stopped from speaking. The last time I spoke, I raised a fundamental question about the compromises made by our PM," he said, adding that it was unprecedented for a Leader of the Opposition to be disallowed from speaking in the Lok Sabha.
'House represents the whole country, not one party'
Rahul Gandhi also accused the Speaker's office of restricting Opposition voices. He argued that Parliament belongs to the people and not to a single political party. "The discussion here is about the democratic process and the role of the Speaker. Multiple times my name has been raised and wild things have been said about me. This House is the expression of the people of India. It does not represent one party but the whole country," he added.
