New Delhi:
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who did not speak in parliament in response to the President’s address, has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, suggesting thathe was deliberately stopped from speaking and called it a “blot on democracy”.
“Preventing me from speaking in the Lok Sabha today… gives rise to a serious concern that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent me, in my capacity as the Leader of the Opposition, from speaking on matters of national security,” he wrote.
“It is worth repeating that national security was a key part of the President’s Address, which requires a discussion in Parliament,” he wrote.
Gandhi was not allowed to read out excerpts from an unpublished book by former Army chief General MM Naravane for the second consecutive day today. The sections he wanted to focus on included the India-China military stand-off in Ladakh in 2020.
The matter escalated to the point that the house had to be adjourned and eight Opposition MPs were suspended for the rest of the winter session.
Gandhi mentioned the events in detail, saying “Yesterday, while speaking on the Motion on the President’s Address, you directed me to authenticate a magazine that I intended to refer to. I authenticated the document while resuming my speech today”.
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