A sharp confrontation unfolded in and outside the Lok Sabha on Monday as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the Union government of avoiding debate and suppressing dissent. Gandhi alleged that the Narendra Modi administration, along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, was applying double standards to silence opposition voices.
Addressing reporters after the adjournment of the House, Gandhi claimed that he was barred from quoting from unpublished memoirs of former Army Chief M.M. Naravane, which he insisted had been published and were in the public domain. The Congress leader said the government was attempting to prevent him from raising “uncomfortable facts” from the memoirs, an assertion the Centre has categorically denied.
“Defence Minister spoke lies about the book. When we tried raising it, the Leader of Opposition was blocked from citing it,” Gandhi said.
The Leader of Opposition also reacted to remarks by the Lok Sabha Speaker alleging a “planned attack” on Prime Minister Modi by opposition MPs, calling such claims baseless and a diversion from substantive issues. He demanded immediate FIRs if any threat existed and insisted that responsible parties face legal consequences.
The tensions come after the Lok Sabha passed the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address on February 5 without a reply from the Prime Minister, whose participation was canceled last minute following the Speaker’s advice. Gandhi highlighted what he described as biased treatment in the House, citing instances where BJP MPs were allowed to make disparaging remarks against former Congress Prime Ministers, while Congress MPs were suspended for dissent.
At least eight opposition MPs were suspended during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks after tearing papers and throwing them toward the Chair. Gandhi claimed that following talks with the Speaker on Monday, Congress MPs would now be permitted to speak on certain issues, excluding the Union Budget.
In response, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala rejected Gandhi’s assertions, accusing him of selectively quoting from unpublished memoirs and violating the Official Secrets Act. He stated that the memoirs, detailing the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, remain under Defence Ministry review and have not received release clearance. Poonawala warned that the Leader of Opposition could face legal consequences for breaching national security protocols.
The confrontation underscores ongoing tensions between the government and opposition over parliamentary procedure, national security, and transparency. Analysts note that the dispute highlights the challenges in balancing sensitive information with parliamentary debate, amid heightened political polarization.
