New Delhi

The BJP on Tuesday strongly criticised the Opposition for submitting a notice seeking the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, with the ruling party saying the time had come for the country to politically “impeach” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party.

Reacting to the notice, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said those questioning constitutional authorities had themselves lost all moral and constitutional propriety.

“People who have been impeached in their conscience are now attempting to impeach every constitutional post in the country,” Patra told reporters.

The BJP also alleged that the Congress and its allies were systematically targeting constitutional institutions at the behest of US-based billionaire George Soros, especially after the BJP-led NDA returned to power for a third consecutive term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Patra’s remarks came after Opposition parties submitted a notice to move a resolution for the removal of Speaker Om Birla, accusing him of disallowing Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other MPs from speaking during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address and over the suspension of eight opposition MPs.

Congress MP and party chief whip K Suresh submitted the notice to the Lok Sabha Secretariat on behalf of several Opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the DMK. The Trinamool Congress, however, did not sign the notice.

Launching a sharp attack on the Congress leadership, Patra said the conduct of Rahul Gandhi and his party in Parliament was being closely watched by the entire country.

He alleged that Congress members attempted to surround the Prime Minister’s seat in the House at Gandhi’s instigation, claiming the move was aimed at creating an unprecedented and dangerous situation.

“What kind of mindset is this? The country must reflect on it,” Patra said, adding that the Congress no longer respected democratic norms or parliamentary decorum.

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“The time has come for India to politically impeach Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party,” he said at the BJP headquarters here.