Speaker rebukes Rahul Gandhi over house conduct

New Delhi

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday urged Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to adhere to parliamentary rules, emphasizing that members must maintain the dignity of the House. His remarks prompted Gandhi to claim that the criticism was "unsubstantiated."

"In this House, we have seen fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, and husband-wife pairs as members. In this context, I expect the Leader of Opposition to follow Rule 349, which governs members' conduct," Birla stated in the Lok Sabha before adjourning proceedings.

Although Birla did not specify what led to his remarks, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya suggested that it was due to Gandhi affectionately cupping his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s cheeks during a session.

Gandhi later told reporters that he was not being allowed to speak, alleging the House was being run in a "non-democratic style." He added, "The Speaker made remarks about me but did not let me respond. Then, he abruptly adjourned the House."

Following Birla’s remarks, Congress MPs visited his office to protest, questioning why Gandhi was repeatedly denied the chance to speak. They claimed their queries received no clear response.

Tagging a video of the incident, Malviya wrote, "It is disgraceful that the Speaker has to remind the Leader of Opposition about basic parliamentary decorum."

Gandhi, who was in the House after a brief absence, insisted that opposition voices were being stifled and that he had been denied the opportunity to speak multiple times over the past week.