New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla schooled Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday for not following proper Parliamentary procedure during a debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha.
After Rahul Gandhi gave "permission" to another MP to speak while he was speaking, the Speaker said, "Who are you to give this permission? You can't give permission, that's my right," Om Birla further added, "You have no right to allow anyone, only the chair has the right to allow."
Om Birla chided Gandhi after the Congress leader while delivering his remarks paused and indicated to BJP MP Kamlesh Paswan who was on his feet and wanted to say something. "I am a democratic person and I will allow the other person to speak," Gandhi said earning a sharp rebuke from a visibly irritated Speaker Birla.
The Congress leader during the motion of thanks on the President's address, was seen taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying, "'India cannot be ruled as a kingdom...The King does not listen to anybody."
The Wayanad MP also took the name of Kamlesh Paswan and who had spoken just before him and pointed out that BJP MP, who is a Dalit was in the wrong party.
"You do not listen to anybody and even not to my dear brother and sister in the BJP. I saw my Dalit colleague speak today, Paswanji. He knows the history of Dalit. He knows who has oppressed the Dalits for 3,000 years. But he is speaking with hesitancy. He is speaking without... I am proud of him. I am proud of this gentleman. He has spoken to me what is in his heart. But he is in the wrong party. Don't worry...ghabraiye mat," Gandhi said.
To this there was an uproar and Paswan stood up to speak in protest and motioned to the Speaker to allow him to speak only to be told by the Speaker in hindi 'No.. not in between, afterwards." This was when Gandhi promptly gestured to Paswan and made the declaration that he gave permission to the BJP leader to speak.
"Aap kisi ko ijazaat nahi de sakte, yeh adhikar mera hain" (You cannot give permission to anyone, this is my right), the Speaker lashed out at Gandhi leaving the Congress leader visibly embarrased.
In addition, Paswan also hit back at the Congress leader. "Rahul Gandhi said I am in the wrong party. I want to tell him that today I am being able to speak after Rahul Gandhi being the MP of Bansgaon only because of my party. My party made me MP three times. What more do I want?"
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi was panned for his remarks in the debate. Many politicians both from BJP and Congress took to social media to speak on it.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, "Mr Rahul Gandhi, those who prefer to feed biscuits to dogs in the presence of leaders from Assam and then offer them the same biscuits should be the last people to talk about political decency. High command mindset is INC's be all and end all. The people of India know it well."
