New Delhi

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi must adhere to parliamentary rules while speaking in the House, asserting that no member is permitted to speak arbitrarily.

Addressing reporters, Rijiju said he had responded to a letter written by Gandhi to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, in which the Congress leader expressed concern over being denied an opportunity to speak on matters of national security during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

“I have replied to his letter. We have also waited, but he does not speak. He insists on speaking outside the rules. We waited for two days, but other members also have a right to speak. This is the Parliament of India, and everyone must speak according to the rules,” Rijiju said.

Rahul Gandhi had written to the Speaker a day earlier, alleging that he was repeatedly prevented from raising critical issues related to national security during the debate.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh countered the government’s stance, asserting that it is the constitutional right of the Leader of Opposition, as well as every Member of Parliament, to speak in the House. He accused the BJP-led government of deliberately attempting to silence Rahul Gandhi and suppress opposition voices.

“It is absolutely the right of the Leader of Opposition and every MP to speak. Ever since Rahul Gandhi has been trying to speak, the entire BJP government has been determined to stop him. This has been their history — they have often run the House by suspending MPs. If they want to run an Opposition-less House, they can do so, but we will not tolerate any attempt to stifle the voice of the Opposition,” Singh told reporters.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday amid loud protests and sloganeering by opposition members over the suspension of eight MPs a day earlier during the ongoing Budget Session. Proceedings are scheduled to resume at noon.

The suspended MPs were later seen protesting outside Parliament, holding placards reading “PM is compromised”, an allegation Rahul Gandhi also reiterated while speaking to the media in connection with the India–US trade agreement.

Those suspended for the remainder of the Budget Session include Congress MPs Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Dean Kuriakose, along with CPI(M) MP S Venkatesan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply later on Wednesday to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

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The suspensions were enforced after the MPs were accused of violating parliamentary rules and throwing papers at the Chair during disruptions in the House. The uproar followed Rahul Gandhi’s insistence on referring to the 2020 India-China standoff in eastern Ladakh during the debate.