'Shameful for democracy': Cong MP as Rahul Gandhi 'not allowed to speak'

Congress Slams Govt Over Rahul Gandhi Speaking Row

Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh on Thursday criticised the NDA government after Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was allegedly not allowed to speak in the House. Reacting to a letter written by Rahul Gandhi on the issue, Singh termed the situation "shameful for democracy". He said that preventing the Leader of the Opposition from speaking reflects an improper parliamentary practice. Singh alleged that excuses were being used as a pretext to stop Rahul Gandhi and that fabricated allegations were being levelled.

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Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh told ANI, "I don't consider this a proper situation. It's a shameful thing for democracy that the Leader of the Opposition is not allowed to speak... somewhere, using an excuse as a pretext, this kind of act has been committed, and fabricated allegations are being levelled... They (the government) are wasting the entire House and the entire session, just because of their stubbornness and obstinacy. The government should abandon this stubbornness and obstinacy..."

Opposition Warns of Disruption

Earlier, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh warned on Thursday that there's "very little opportunity" for the house to function if Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is not allowed to make his point in Parliament about the 2020 standoff with China.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, "There is only one issue in Parliament that is agitating the opposition, that the LoP in Lok Sabha has been prevented from speaking in Lok Sabha. LoP in the Rajya Sabha raised this issue. Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha have also walked out of the house today on this. "

"All Opposition parties are united that if Lop is not allowed to speak, then there is very little opportunity for the House to run," he added.

Congress has said that Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi was "stopped" multiple times from quoting former Army Chief General MM Naravane (Retd). BJP leaders, in defence, said that this violates the House rules and risks demoralising the armed forces. Amid the constant disruptions in Parliament, PM Modi was unable to give his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.

Past Precedent Cited

Jairam Ramesh reminded that once former PM Manmohan Singh did not speak in the motion of thanks in June 2004 because he was "prevented from replying."

He added that Manmohan Singh then thanked the President twice in 2005. "Let me remind the PM and BJP that on June 2004, Dr Manmohan Singh, the then PM, did not reply to the Motion of Thanks because he was prevented from replying. In 2005, then PM Manmohan Singh had thanked the President twice, as he could not thank him in 2004," he said.

PM Modi on 'Reform, Perform, Transform' Mantra

After the lower house passed the motion of thanks without the PM speech, PM Modi spoke in the Rajya Sabha and said that his government is working with the mantra of 'reform, perform and transform.'

"A significant part of our energy is being spent on correcting the mistakes of the past. It takes great effort to erase the image that was created in the minds of the world during that period, they left things in such a damaged state. That is why we have placed strong emphasis on future-ready policies. Today, the country is being governed on the basis of policy and strategy. Global trust in India is growing. Guided by the mantra of 'reform, perform, transform,' we have moved forward, and the reality today is that the nation has boarded the Reform Express," the PM said in the upper House. (ANI)