Lok Sabha adjourned; Rahul Gandhi alleges Speaker broke assurance

Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow after it reconvened its session at 2 pm following two adjournments since it commenced Monday's session at 11 am, Opposition MPs continued to demand a discussion on the India-US interim trade framework. and the Lower House of Parliament was adjourned till February 10.

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Dispute Over Speaking Time for Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi claimed that he was given a personal assurance that he would be allowed to raise certain points on the floor before discussion on the budget starts, but the Lok Sabha Chair was "going back on their word" "Speaker committed, personally committed to us that I would be allowed to speak here before the budget discussion. Now you are going back on your word. I would like to know whether I would be allowed to speak those points or not," Rahul Gandhi told MP Sandhya Ray, presiding over the proceedings.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed the claims by Gandhi, saying that no assurance was given during the meeting held between Speaker Om Birla and Congress MP K C Venugopal, which he also attended. "Speaker Sir also said in the chamber, Venugopal ji was there, I also joined. Speaker had said that if everyone agrees then House should function. It was said from Venugopal too, that they want their Leader of Opposition to speak, we asked what issue you want to raise, If they accuse the Speaker of something then there will be a reply by the Speaker too. What Rahul Gandhi said is 100 per cent false, Speaker has not said that," Rijiju told the House.

MP Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, in turn said that she had not recieved any notice on the LoP in the lower house raising any issues, and without proper procedure, they cannot discuss matters. "I have not gotten any notice, I don't know what issue you want to raise. Please debate on the budget, if you want to discuss the budget so please speak," she said. "No issue will come forward without notice," she added.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also said that it is a "tradition" to give the LoP a chance. "It is a tradition of Parliament, just as you were prepared to ..." he said, before being cut off from speaking by Kiren Rijiju.

The comments by Rijiju prompted multiple Opposition MPs to shout slogans and object to the remarks by the Parliamentary Affairs minister.

Congress Women MPs Allege Speaker Pressured by Ruling Party

Earlier today, Women Members of Parliament from the Indian National Congress wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging that the ruling party forced him to make "false, baseless, and defamatory" claims against them.

Speaker Birla had on Thursday said he had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the House to prevent any unpleasant incident, as he had received information that some Congress MPs could come to the PM's seat in the House and "resort to an unprecedented incident".

The MPs said their protests in the House were peaceful and in line with parliamentary norms, but they faced unprecedented targeting. The MPs further claimed that when they met the Speaker to demand action against the BJP MP, he acknowledged a "grave mistake" but later indicated he was awaiting the government's response, suggesting he no longer acted independently in such matters.

The next day, the MPs claimed, the Speaker, reportedly under pressure from the ruling party to justify the Prime Minister's absence, issued a statement making "grave allegations" against them. Reaffirming their commitment to democratic principles, the Congress women MPs said their party stands for love, peace, constitutional values, and human dignity. They asserted that they will not be silenced by intimidation and emphasised that transparency is essential to restore the dignity of the Speaker's office and maintain the credibility of the Lok Sabha.

(ANI)