Ministers criticise Rahul for ‘questioning’ LS Speaker
BJP interested only in tarnishing Rahul’s image, says Congress MP
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju speaking in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on July 29, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI/ Sansad TV
A war of words erupted between the Ministers and the Congress in the Lok Sabha overOpposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s exchanges with Speaker Om Birla during the former’s speech on the Union Budget on Monday.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said he condemned “the way LoP Rahul Gandhi attacked the Speaker and spoke beyond the rules.” Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said it was “sad” and that Mr. Gandhi’s “behaviour as the Leader of the Opposition and the language he uses in Parliament, questioning the Constitutional post of the Lok Sabha Speaker, is an action that undermines democracy and the Constitution.”
At this, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal shot back saying the BJP was interested only in tarnishing Mr. Gandhi’s image. “They [BJP] only have one agenda – to tarnish his [Rahul Gandhi’s] image. These are mere statements by the BJP… Now, the people of India are realising who is the real leader. Today’s speech of Rahul Gandhi reflected the sentiments of the common people… He talked about the poor people. However, they [BJP] are interested in the rich people,” he said.
Earlier in the day, during Mr. Gandhi’s speech, Mr. Birla advised Mr. Gandhi to read the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure “at least one more time”. This advice to Gandhi came as he made references to persons who were not members of the Lok Sabha and also sought to display photographs of the halwa ceremony customarily held in the Finance Ministry in the run-up to the Budget exercise.
“You are Leader of the Opposition. I expect you to first read all the rules of procedure at least one more time,” Speaker Birla said.
He also pointed out that Mr. Gandhi had refused to refused to yield to Mr. Rijiju, who wanted to make a clarification on certain points mentioned by the former.
At this, Mr. Gandhi shot back saying that “if the Prime Minister and the Ministers yield to our request when we raise our hand to speak, we will yield every time they ask us to yield.”
Read Comments
- Copy link
- Telegram
READ LATER
Remove
SEE ALL
PRINT
Related Topics
Parliament proceedings
/
Lok Sabha
/
Indian National Congress