Rahul Gandhi targets Speaker Om Birla for ‘selective expunction’, demands restoration of speech
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi Photograph:( Agencies )
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The Congress leader said a large portion of his speech was chopped off from the proceedings of the house
The Congress leader said a large portion of his speech was chopped off from the proceedings of the house
The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Indian Parliament's lower house, the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (Jul 2) wrote a letter to Speaker Om Birla and demanded he restore the expunged portion of his explosive Monday speech, the first as the LoP. In his letter, Gandhi accused Birla of carrying out “selective expunction” that "defies logic".
"I also wish to draw attention to the speech of Anurag Thakur, which was full of allegations, however, surprisingly only one word has been expunged! With due respect to your good self, this selective expunction defies logic," Gandhi wrote in the letter.
The Congress leader said a large portion of his speech was chopped off from the proceedings of the house.
"I am enclosing relevant portions of uncorrected Debates of Lok Sabha dated 2 July. I am constrained to state that the portions expunged do not come under the ambit of Rule 380. What I sought to convey in the House is ground reality, the factual position. Every member of the House who personifies the collective voice of the people whom he or she represents has the freedom of speech as enshrined in Article 105(1) of the Constitution of India. It is every member's right to raise people's concerns on the floor of the House," he added.
Also read: 'You bowed down to PM Modi,' LoP Rahul Gandhi attacks Speaker Om Birla
Gandhi said Birla's action “goes against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy.”
"I request that the remarks expunged from the proceedings be restored," he added.
Speaker Om Birla had expunged Gandhi's remarks on the NEET paper leak row and the controversial Agnipath scheme from the records of the parliament. His remarks on Hinduism were also expunged.
Gandhi also issued a statement on his remarks being expunged and while talking to reporters ahead of entering the Lok Sabha, he said "the truth can't be expunged".
"In Modi ji's world, truth can be expunged. But in reality, the truth can't be expunged. I said what I had to say, that is the truth. They can expunge as much as they want. Truth is truth," Gandhi said.
(With inputs from agencies)
