Rahul Gandhi Alleges He Is Being Denied Right to Speak in Lok Sabha:

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday expressed frustration over being denied the opportunity to speak in the Lok Sabha, calling the functioning of the House “undemocratic.” His comments came shortly after Speaker Om Birla advised him to adhere to the procedural rules that govern parliamentary conduct. The specific reason behind the Speaker’s remarks remains unclear.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Gandhi said that the Speaker made comments about him but adjourned the session before allowing him to respond. “I don’t know what is going on. I asked him to let me speak, but he just walked away. This is no way to run the House,” Gandhi stated, adding that he was not given the chance to counter the “unsubstantiated” statements made against him.

Gandhi, who represents Raebareli in the Lok Sabha, claimed that for the past seven to eight days he has been systematically prevented from voicing his views. “Every time I stand up, I’m stopped. We are not allowed to say what we want to. I was sitting silently and did not interrupt anyone,” he said. Referring to a recent session where Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the Kumbh Mela, Gandhi said he wanted to raise concerns about unemployment but was denied the opportunity.

Calling the conduct of the Speaker “non-democratic,” Gandhi emphasized that the Opposition is being sidelined in the proceedings of the House. “There seems to be no space for the Opposition anymore. I’m not sure about the Speaker’s approach, but we are being blocked,” he added.

Following the incident, around 70 Congress Lok Sabha MPs—including deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi, party general secretary KC Venugopal, and whip Manickam Tagore—met with the Lok Sabha Speaker to formally raise concerns over what they described as a consistent denial of Rahul Gandhi’s right to speak in the House.