Listen to the article
Telangana BJP leaders launched a scathing critique of Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi on February 4, dismissing his claims of being prevented from speaking in Parliament as “false” and part of a pattern of behavior that undermines Indian institutions.
N Ramchander Rao, President of BJP’s Telangana unit, told ANI that Gandhi has developed a habit of making unfounded accusations about being silenced in Parliament while simultaneously criticizing Indian democracy and the armed forces.
“It has become Rahul Gandhi’s habit to make false claims that he is not being allowed to speak and also blame our democracy, and also insult our Armed forces,” Rao said. He further alleged that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a Congress leader, was “following in Rahul Gandhi’s footsteps” with similar rhetoric.
The regional BJP chief further criticized Gandhi for allegedly neglecting his responsibilities as Leader of the Opposition. “As LoP, he has forgotten his duty to raise public issues. People see him insulting the Armed forces and the nation, yet he says he is not being allowed to speak. Such an unfortunate situation, where a liar has become the LoP,” Rao remarked.
The BJP’s criticism comes in response to Gandhi’s letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, in which he expressed concerns about being prevented from addressing national security matters during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. Gandhi claimed he had properly authenticated a document he intended to reference in his speech, following parliamentary protocol, but was still not permitted to quote from it.
“Preventing me from speaking in the Lok Sabha today not only violates this convention, but also gives rise to a serious concern that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent me, in my capacity as the Leader of the Opposition, from speaking on matters of national security,” Gandhi wrote in his letter to the Speaker.
The Congress leader emphasized that national security was a key component of the President’s Address and therefore warranted parliamentary discussion. He insisted that the Speaker has a constitutional obligation to protect the rights of all Members of Parliament, including those in opposition, and characterized the denial of his speaking rights as a “blot on our democracy.”
This parliamentary dispute has further intensified the ongoing political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. Gandhi subsequently took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to directly accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “compromised” and “too afraid” to allow him to speak about controversial topics, including former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane’s unpublished memoir and the Epstein files.
“PM Modi is Compromised. PM is too afraid to let me speak in Parliament about Naravane, Epstein Files and how he has surrendered on Tariffs,” Gandhi posted.
The exchange highlights the increasingly contentious atmosphere in India’s Parliament, where procedural disputes frequently escalate into larger political battles. The BJP’s characterization of Gandhi as unreliable and anti-national contrasts sharply with the Congress leader’s portrayal of himself as being deliberately silenced by the ruling party.
This episode is the latest in a series of confrontations between the BJP and Congress, with each side accusing the other of undermining democratic norms and institutions. As the parliamentary session continues, observers expect these tensions to persist, particularly on sensitive issues related to national security and governance.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
9 Comments
The BJP’s criticism of Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric seems quite strong, calling him a ‘liar’ and accusing him of undermining Indian institutions. This suggests a deeply partisan divide on this issue. It would be helpful to get perspectives from independent observers to better understand what’s really happening.
I agree, the language used by the BJP leader is quite inflammatory. It’s important to try to look at this objectively and not get caught up in the partisan back-and-forth.
The BJP’s allegations against Rahul Gandhi are quite serious, but without more context it’s hard to assess their validity. I would encourage readers to seek out reporting from a range of sources to try to understand the full picture.
The BJP’s criticism of Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric and leadership as LoP is quite scathing. I wonder if this is part of a broader political strategy to discredit the opposition ahead of upcoming elections. It would be good to see more balanced reporting on this issue.
This seems like a classic case of political point-scoring, with each side trying to paint the other as unfit for office. I hope Indian voters can look past the rhetoric and focus on the substantive issues facing the country.
Well said. It’s important for the public to be able to evaluate the claims and counter-claims of politicians objectively, rather than getting caught up in the partisan back-and-forth.
As an observer, I’m curious to learn more about the specific allegations made by both sides. Are there records or footage that could shed light on the claims about parliamentary speaking rights? It seems like an important issue for Indian democracy that deserves careful examination.
Interesting to see the BJP accuse the opposition leader of making false claims about parliamentary speaking rights. It seems like a political back-and-forth, with both sides trying to score points. I wonder if there is more context or nuance that’s not being covered here.
This seems like a complex issue with a lot of political positioning on both sides. I’m curious to learn more about the specific claims and counter-claims, as well as the broader context around parliamentary speaking rights and the role of the opposition in Indian democracy.