Congress MP Manickam Tagore accused BJP ministers of blocking Rahul Gandhi from speaking in Parliament about a former Army Chief's memoir on the China standoff. The BJP countered, accusing Gandhi of flouting rules and demoralising armed forces.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday slammed the disruption in Parliament, saying Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was blocked from speaking. He raised concerns over ministers interfering and questioned why an Army general's book and statements could not be referenced, calling it an attack on parliamentary debate.
Speaking to ANI, Manickam Tagore said,"It is very unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was not allowed to speak. From the beginning, first Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was disturbing, then Amit Shah jumped in, and then Kirren Rijiju started speaking... Why should the Army general's words and book not be quoted in the Parliament?... The Parliament is being strangled. The Speaker's chair has been pushed to a corner by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister..."
'Not Being Allowed to Speak': Rahul Gandhi
Earlier today, LoP Rahul Gandhi said he was not being allowed to speak in the House despite the issue relating to national security, asserting that he only wanted to read out a few lines written by the former Army Chief General MM Naravane.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said, "I am not being allowed to speak. I just have to speak two or three lines. It is a matter of national security. These are the words of the former Army Chief, and it is a conversation that he has had with Rajnath Singh ji and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All I am saying is that I want to say in the House what the former Army Chief has written and what orders did Rajnath Singh and Prime Minister Modi give him."
Gandhi further questioned the government's objections, saying he did not understand why he was being stopped from raising the issue in Parliament. "I want to speak in the House. I do not know why they are scared. The point here is exactly what the Prime Minister said and what Rajnath Singh ji said. Whether the land was taken or not is a different question. We will come to that. But before that, the leader of the country is supposed to give direction. The leader is not supposed to run away from decisions and leave decisions to other people's shoulders. That is what the Prime Minister has done," he added.
Stalemate in Lok Sabha; BJP Accuses Gandhi of Flouting Rules
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha witnessed repeated disruptions on Monday and was adjourned for the day amid a prolonged stalemate over Rahul Gandhi's insistence on speaking about a specific matter pertaining to the standoff with China during border tensions in 2020 while referring to a report citing an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane.
BJP members strongly objected to Rahul Gandhi's remarks, saying he was speaking outside the rules of the House. The House, which began discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's Address, was adjourned first till 3 pm, then till 4 pm, and later for the day.
Speaker Om Birla ruled that Gandhi should not make references to the unpublished book or article. When the House reconvened at 3 pm, the Speaker urged the Leader of the Opposition to proceed without mentioning the material, stressing that the House functions according to established rules.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to demoralise the armed forces. "Our party initiated the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. All of us were seated to hear the speech of LoP Rahul Gandhi. But right from the beginning, Rahul Gandhi flouted rules and started quoting from a book whose publication and authenticity of a book is not clearly mentioned. Defence Minister and all of us said that the House will function as per rules and one should speak as per rules...One cannot challenge the Chair. Even after the ruling of the Lok Sabha Speaker, Rahul Gandhi kept repeating the same mistake...He wasted half an hour, violated rules and kept saying the same thing. He started speaking on the China border...Can the Congress party bring back the landmass that was captured by China in 1959 and 1962?... Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation," he said.
"If someone is born in a known family, are they above the Parliament? Are they above the rules? India is a democratic nation and functions as per rules...Rahul Gandhi doesn't follow any rules. He considers himself above Parliament. Senior Congress leaders got up and started clapping...Rahul Gandhi should use his brain and make his MPs understand to follow the rules. That is my request to him. He should apologise for the sin of Congress with respect to the China border," he added.
Amid Rahul Gandhi's insistence on delivering his intended remarks, Rijiju said the House should also deliberate on "what should be done with a member who doesn't obey the Speaker's ruling in Lok Sabha."
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also urged the Chair to prevent the Congress leader from making such references. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)