Congress warns Parliament will face disruptions if LoP Rahul Gandhi is not allowed to speak on the 2020 China standoff, citing MM Naravane's memoir. The united Opposition walked out in protest, leading to adjournments in the Lok Sabha.
Opposition Warns of Parliament Disruption
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Thursday warned that there's "very little opportunity" for the house to run if Lok Sabha Leader of 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.
Standoff Over Former Army Chief's Memoir
Congress has raised several issues in Parliament, with a major one arising from MM Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff in eastern Ladakh. 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.
PM Modi Skips Address Amid Ruckus
Amid the constant disruptions in Parliament, PM Modi decided to skip the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.
Jairam Ramesh Cites 2004 Precedent
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 was expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address at 5 pm on Wednesday. Instead, after repeated disruptions and sloganeering by the Opposition members, the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha. (ANI)
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