Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has voiced concerns over the stifling of opposition voices in Parliament, alleging that he is "never allowed to speak". This statement was made to the media after the House was adjourned for the second time due to protests. Gandhi asserted that while the Defense Minister and members of the ruling BJP are given ample opportunity to speak, the opposition is often denied the same privilege.
Gandhi described this situation as a "new approach," criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leaving the House abruptly. Opposition MPs have been protesting, demanding a debate on Operation Sindoor, India’s military response following the Pahalgam terror attack. Speaker Om Birla has assured them that time would be allocated for discussion after Question Hour.
This isn't the first time that concerns about the stifling of opposition voices have been raised. In February 2023, remarks made by Gandhi linking the Prime Minister to businessman Gautam Adani were expunged from records. Reacting to the Speaker's move at the time, Gandhi stated that "truth could be expunged in the world of Modi ji, but not in reality".
In July 2024, 14 bits from Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha speech were cut by the Speaker. Gandhi responded by saying, “Whatever I had to say, I have said, and that is the truth. They can expunge as much as they want, but the truth will prevail". He also cited BJP MP Anurag Thakur's speech and claimed it was full of allegations, but only one word was expunged from it, calling the selective expunction illogical.
Gandhi emphasized that every member of the House has the freedom of speech as enshrined in Article 105(1) of the Constitution of India. He added, "It is that right and in exercise of my obligations to the people of the country, that I was exercising yesterday".
These events highlight a recurring issue regarding the space and opportunity given to the opposition to voice their opinions and concerns in the Lok Sabha. Gandhi's recent statements underscore the ongoing struggle for the opposition to be heard and to hold the government accountable.
