New Delhi: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, on Wednesday has alleged that Opposition voices, particularly that of the Leader of Opposition (LoP), are being curtailed in Parliament. He claimed that while government ministers and BJP MPs are given the floor without hindrance, the LoP is often prevented from speaking by citing procedural rules.
Emphasizing the LoP’s crucial role in parliamentary tradition, Gogoi said such actions raise concerns about fairness in legislative proceedings.
“Parliamentary tradition teaches us that the House is as much of the Opposition as it is of the Ruling Side. Whenever the Opposition, especially the LoP, comes to the House and wants to speak, some or the other rule is cited, and they are deprived of their right,” Gogoi told reporters.
He stressed the LoP’s key role in democracy but claimed that the BJP ministers and MPs speak freely, while the LoP faces procedural curbs.
Gogoi further added, “LoP is a very important position in our Parliamentary tradition, but a situation is formed in Parliament again and again that if there is a Minister of the Government or a BJP MP, their mic gets switched on as soon as they get up…When LoP gets up, he is not given an opportunity to speak…”
On Wednesday, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that he was not allowed to speak in the House.
“I don’t know what is going on…I requested him to let me speak…This is no way to run the House. Speaker just left and he did not let me speak…he said something unsubstantiated about me…he adjourned the House, there was no need…it is a convention, LoP is given time to speak. Whenever I stand up, I am stopped from speaking…I did nothing, I was quietly sitting,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters.
He said that in a democracy, there is a place for government and opposition, but here, “there is no place for opposition”.
Rahul Gandhi said that he wanted to speak on the Maha Kumbh Mela and unemployment, but he was not allowed to speak.
“Prime Minister ji spoke on Maha Kumbh, and I also wanted to speak on (Maha) Kumbh Mela. I wanted to say that Kumbh Mela was very good. I also wanted to speak on unemployment, but I wasn’t allowed. I don’t know what the approach and thinking of the Speaker are, but the truth is we were not allowed,” he added.
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