Targeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said he was not being allowed to speak in the House and that this was not the correct way to run the proceedings. “I don’t know what is going on. I requested him to let me speak but he (Speaker) just ran away. This is no way to run the House. The Speaker just left and he did not let me speak. He said something unsubstantiated about me. He adjourned the House, there was no need,” Mr Gandhi told the media.
The Rae Bareli MP said the convention is that the Leader of the Opposition is given a chance to address the House. “Whenever I stand up, I am not allowed to speak. What we want to say we are not allowed to. I did nothing. I was sitting quietly. I did not say a word. I have not been allowed to speak for 7-8 days. This is a new tactic. There is no place for Opposition. That day, the Prime Minister spoke about Kumbh Mela, I wanted to add something, speak about unemployment, but I was not allowed to. I don’t know what is the Speaker’s approach, but we are not being allowed to speak. This is a non-democratic way of functioning,” Mr Gandhi said.
