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Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday said Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has continued to speak the truth despite pressure from the ruling side, during the debate on the no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Addressing the lower house, she said, "There is only one person in the country who has not bowed down before them (the ruling side) in the last 12 years. It is the Leader of the Opposition. They cannot digest the truth he speaks." Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju replied to the motion of removal of Speaker in the Lok Sabha, as he accused the Opposition bench to be "restless" and trying to go against the will of the people as they allegedly look to steal the Speaker's power for themselves. Taking a jibe at the Opposition MPs amid sloganeering, Minister Rijiju said that he has "no cure" if one believes themselves to be above the speaker in the House, referencing the previous statement of Rahul Gandhi. "When you look at the Constitution and the rules of the House, no one has challenged any decision of the Speaker. That day, I was upset by the fact that the Opposition MP said that 'I do not need permission from anyone to speak in Parliament', which is on record. This is my right to speak in Parliament, our Leader of Opposition said this. So I was thinking, there are many senior members in Congress, why did they not explain that in this House, PM, minister, LoP can be present, but one needs permission from the speaker to speak," Rijiju said in the House. "You cannot do this, and then you say your microphone is not on. Without permission, if you consider yourself to be above the Speaker, I do not have the cure for that," the minister added. Congress MP Mohammad Jawed moved the resolution to table the no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla earlier today. More than 50 MPs stood in favour of moving the resolution, following which, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who is in the Chair, granted the leave, i.e. permission to the Congress MP. Jagdambika Pal said that 10 hours have been allotted for debate, and asked MPs to stick to the resolution. He said that the Speaker was generous with the permissions and procedure for the Opposition resolution. A total of 118 Opposition MPs have signed the motion, alleging "partisan" behaviour by the Speaker after the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was allegedly not allowed to speak in the House. Congress MP Jawed, reading the resolution, also mentioned that the Speaker falsely alleged that the Opposition women MPs were planning a physical attack on the Prime Minister. (ANI)
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