Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, on Monday accused the government of not allowing him to speak in the House over opposition demands for the monsoon session of Parliament, saying that union ministers were allowed to speak but he was not permitted.
Congress and other parties of INDIA bloc have identified eight key issues to be raised during the monsoon session of Parliament. These include Pahalgam terror attack and Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Opposition members had given adjournment notices which were not accepted.
Opposition parties had been raising slogans in Lok Sabha in support of their demands in the House. Lok Sabha was first adjourned till 12 noon and then till 2 pm.
“The question is – the Defence Minister is allowed to speak in the House, but Opposition members, including me, who is the LoP, are not allowed to speak…This is a new approach…The convention states that if people from the government side can speak, then we should also be given space to speak,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra referred to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s remarks that government is ready for discussion on Operation Sindoor.
“If they (the government) are ready for discussion, they should let the Leader of the Opposition speak. He stood up to speak, so he should be allowed to speak,” she said.
Amid ruckus, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the government is ready for discussion on any issue.
“The government is eady for discussion on any issue”, Singh said in Lok Sabha.
Rijiju said a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee will be held at 2.30 pm. “The government is ready for discussion, but they (Opposition MPs) are protesting here (in the Well of the House). It is not right to protest like this on the first day of the Monsoon session,” he said. (ANI)
