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Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed repeated interruptions and was later adjourned for the day following a prolonged stalemate over Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi's insistence on speaking about a specific matter pertaining standoff with China during border tensions in 2020 while referring to a report citing unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane. BJP members strongly objected to Rahul Gandhi's remarks, saying he was violating the rules of the House.
The House, which began discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's Address, was adjourned till 3 pm, 4 pm and later for the day. Speaker Om Birla ruled that Rahul Gandhi should not make references to the unpublished book and article. When the House met at 3 pm, the Speaker urged the Leader of the Opposition to proceed with his speech without mentioning his intended reference. He said that the House works according to the 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 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 China border...Can 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 function 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 brains and make his MPs understand to follow rules. That is my request to him. He should apologise for the sin of Congress with respect to China border," he added. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also urged the Chair not to allow the Congress leader to make such a reference. Amid Rahul Gandhi's insistence on making his intended remarks about the border standoff with China, Rijiju said the House should also discuss "what should be done with a member who doesn't obey the Speaker's ruling in Lok Sabha". As the Congress leader again started making a specific reference over border standoff with China that started in May 2020, the House was adjourned till 4 pm. When the House resumed its proceedings, Jagdamika Pal, who was in the Chair, said that Speaker had already given his ruling and Rahul Gandhi should proceed with his speech. Rahul Gandhi said nothing is more important than national security and started mentioning the specific matter relating to border standoff with China in May 2020. The House was adjourned for the day amid the din. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi asked why the government is "so scared" of the content of the former Army Chief's memoirs. There were sharp exchanges between the Treasury and the opposition benches. Rahul Gandhi said he was reading from a magazine article citing the unpublished memoirs of former Army Chief. General MM Naravane served as Chief of the Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022. "What does it contain which is scaring them so much? If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on," Gandhi asked. Rajnath Singh said the Congress leader cannot cite an unpublished book and asked what was source of his information. Gandhi said he was responding to allegations made by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who "questioned the patriotism of Congress". "A young colleague over there made an allegation against the Congress Party. I was not going to raise this issue, but because he has raised the issue about our patriotism, our understanding of Indian culture, I'd like to start by reading something," the Congress leader said. "And I'd like you to listen nicely. You will understand exactly who is patriotic, who is not." Gandhi further said that the passage related to an incident when "four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory" National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs objected, arguing that the memoir had not been published and could not be quoted in the House. Home Minister Amit Shah said that the debate was on motion of thanks to the President's address, and BJP member Tejasvi Surya, while taking digs at the opposition, had not questioned their patriotism. He said Tejasvi Surya cited speeches from the UPA era that made no mention of Viksit Bharat. Rajnath Singh said the book Rahul Gandhi is referring to has not been published. "I want that LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published," Rajnath Singh asked. Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak. Lok Sabha took up the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Presidnet's address on Monday. (ANI)
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