NEW DELHI — Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed that Speaker Om Birla had assured him an opportunity to speak before the Union Budget discussion, a claim responded by rebuttal from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, triggering chaos in the House and multiple adjournments before proceedings were finally called off for the day.
The Lok Sabha reconvened at 2 pm after being adjourned twice earlier, but was again adjourned within seven minutes amid continued protests by Opposition members.
As Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, called Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to initiate the Budget debate as per the list of business, Tharoor urged her to allow the Leader of Opposition to speak first.
Gandhi said Opposition members had met the Speaker, who, he claimed, personally assured them that he would be allowed to raise certain issues before the Budget discussion.
“Our members went to the Speaker. He personally committed that I would be allowed to speak. Now you are going back on your word,” Gandhi said, asking whether he would be permitted to raise his points.
Ray responded in the negative.
Rijiju countered Gandhi’s claim, saying the Speaker had only agreed that all parties would be given an opportunity to speak, provided the House functioned smoothly.
“I was present in the Speaker’s chamber along with K.C. Venugopal. The Speaker said every party would be allowed to speak. He did not promise exclusive time to Congress. What Rahul Gandhi is saying is not 100 per cent correct,” Rijiju said.
Opposition MPs rejected the Minister’s explanation and began sloganeering, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for the day.
Earlier, Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was presiding, repeatedly urged Opposition members to return to their seats and allow proceedings to continue. However, the protests persisted, with Congress MPs demanding that Gandhi be permitted to address the House.
Tenneti said the debate would proceed according to the list of business, with Tharoor slated as the first speaker. When asked whether Gandhi intended to speak on the Budget, Opposition members said he did not.
Tharoor declined to proceed, saying he would defer to the Leader of Opposition.
With disruptions continuing, Tenneti adjourned the House till 2 pm.
The Lok Sabha had earlier been suspended soon after Question Hour began, as Opposition members refused to stop chanting slogans. Speaker Birla said all members would be given a chance to speak as per parliamentary rules and that Gandhi could raise his concerns during the Budget debate.
However, the continued uproar led to repeated adjournments.
Last week, Gandhi was also unable to complete his speech during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address after he was disallowed from referring to an unpublished book by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane (Retd.). — With inputs from IANS
