New Delhi: Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding derogatory remarks against him be removed from the records of the House. After the meeting, Gandhi told reporters: “I had a meeting with the Speaker. I told him that the derogatory remarks against me should be deleted. The Speaker said he would look into it.”
Gandhi stressed that the opposition’s focus was to ensure that discussions in Parliament took place. “Our goal is that the House must run and the debate must take place. Whatever they say about me, we want to have a discussion on December 13. They don’t want to have a debate on Adani. Ultimately, we will not leave this issue,” he said .
#watch |Delhi| Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, “I had a meeting with the Speaker. I told him that the derogatory remarks against me should be removed. The Speaker said he would look into the matter… Our aim is The House must run and discussions should take place in the House. pic.twitter.com/XEpqlUywJS— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2024
The comments came amid ongoing chaos in Parliament, with Lok Sabha proceedings postponed to 2pm after opposition members demanded a discussion on allegations involving industrialist Gautam Adani.
Lok Sabha sparks crisis in Manipur
Earlier in the meeting, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi highlighted the deteriorating situation in Manipur, saying: “People are suffering, basic services are collapsing and the impact on ordinary citizens is devastating.” Gogoi Goi questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence in Manipur and asked Home Minister Amit Shah to address Parliament about the steps being taken to deal with the crisis.
He also accused the BJP of using distractions, such as raising the issue of George Soros, to divert attention from the government’s shortcomings.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal refuted the allegations and said the government was taking appropriate steps to resolve the situation in Manipur. Goyal claimed that there were “links between Congress and outside forces,” implying a link between Congress and George Soros. “Why is George Soros so close to their leader?” Goyal asked.
Federal House faces motion of no confidence
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and the opposition parties are deadlocked over a motion of no-confidence against the Chairman of the Indian Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, and the Indian Rajya Sabha continues to adjourn. The motion, led by the Congress-led India Bloc, was tabled on Tuesday and accused Dhankar of “partisan” behaviour.
The winter session of Parliament, which began on November 25, was disrupted by demands to discuss the Adani issue, the Manipur crisis and allegations involving George Soros. The House of Representatives and the Senate have adjourned several times, and the Federal Chamber is scheduled to reconvene on December 12.
Opposition protests over Adani issue
The Indian bloc continued to demand a debate on the allegations involving Gautam Adani and staged a protest at the Parliament building earlier in the day. Chaos broke out in the House and Senate on Tuesday, forcing Congress to adjourn early.
Rahul Gandhi reiterated the opposition’s determination to raise the Adani issue and said: “They will continue to level charges against us but the House has to play its role.”