Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has written to Speaker Om Birla, protesting what he termed an unprecedented denial of his right to speak during the ongoing Lok Sabha session, which has been repeatedly disrupted by adjournments and protests. In his letter, Gandhi said preventing him from speaking in the House violated established parliamentary conventions and raised serious concerns about a “deliberate attempt” to silence the Leader of the Opposition on issues of national security.
Gandhi Points Out National Security
He pointed out that national security formed a key part of the President’s Address, making discussion on the subject both necessary and mandatory in Parliament. “This not only violates convention, but also gives rise to a serious concern that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent me, in my capacity as Leader of the Opposition, from speaking on matters of national security,” Gandhi wrote. Referring to the continuing row in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the refusal to allow him to speak had created an unprecedented situation in parliamentary history.
LoP Protests Lok Sabha Suppression
He alleged that, at the behest of the government, the Speaker had been compelled to prevent the Leader of the Opposition from participating in the debate on the President’s Address. Calling it a “blot on democracy”, Gandhi recorded his strongest protest over what he described as the denial of basic democratic rights. The letter follows a heated showdown in the Lok Sabha between Gandhi and senior government leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Row Over Naravane Memo Quoting
The confrontation erupted after Gandhi attempted to quote from an unpublished book by former Army chief General MM Naravane, which reportedly contained remarks on the 2020 India–China military stand-off in eastern Ladakh. As soon as Gandhi began referring to the book, Rajnath Singh objected, stating that quoting from an unpublished document was against the rules of the House. The government maintained that only officially published material could be cited in parliamentary proceedings, leading to sharp exchanges and further disruptions.
The episode contributed to multiple adjournments of the Lok Sabha, with both the ruling party and the Opposition accusing each other of undermining parliamentary functioning amid an already tense session marked by protests and walkouts.
