Rahul Gandhi protests being barred from speaking on President’s address, writes to Speaker

New Delhi, Feb 3: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Speaker Om Birla, registering what he described as his strongest protest over not being allowed to speak on the President’s address, calling the episode a blot on democracy, according to the Times of India. The protest followed objections raised by treasury benches after the Congress MP referred to an excerpt from an unpublished book by former Army chief General M M Naravane on the June 2020 India-China clashes in Ladakh. The government argued that parliamentary rules do not permit members to quote from books that have not yet been published. General Naravane was the Army chief at the time of the Ladakh standoff.

In his letter to the Speaker, Gandhi referred to established parliamentary convention, stating that a member wishing to cite a document is required to authenticate it and take responsibility for its contents, after which the Speaker may allow it to be quoted. He said that once this process is completed, it is for the government to respond, and the role of the Chair stands concluded, ANI reported.

The Raebareli MP said being prevented from speaking was not only a violation of parliamentary convention but also reflected a deliberate attempt to stop him from addressing the House in his capacity as Leader of Opposition. He said the right of the LoP and of every member to speak is integral to democracy, and alleged that this right had been denied at the instance of the government, reports TOI.