Budget debate row: Tharoor backs Rahul Gandhi’s right to speak in Lok Sabha

Calling it ldquoabsolutely bizarrerdquo senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said that Rahul Gandhi must be allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha claiming both their microphones were cut when he yielded time during the Budget discussionThe Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram questioned the intent of the Speaker and the government reported news agency PTIldquoThe situation is very strange I donrsquot know whether the Speaker or the government do not want the House to debate the Budget There is a longstanding tradition of more than 70 years that when two members seek the floor priority is given first to the LoP and then to the Minister for Parliamentary Affairsrdquo Tharoor told reporters in the Parliament House complex after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the dayldquoNow we have had two successive presiding officers who refused to let the LoP speak while the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs is consistently given the floor whenever he raises his hand That is not correct You cannot favour the government side like this The House belongs to all of usrdquo he said reported PTITharoor added that the government would get its opportunity to reply in due courseldquoNo one is stopping them from replyingrdquo he saidHe further stated that Gandhi should have been allowed to place his concerns on recordThey simply would not let Rahul Gandhi speakldquoWhen you do not allow him to speak you undermine the very purpose of Parliament which is discussion and deliberation I do not understand what instructions these presiding officers came with but they simply would not let Rahul Gandhi speakrdquo he saidldquoSo when I finally got the microphone during the Budget discussion I said I would yield to the LoP and let him speak At that point both our microphones were cut off I donrsquot understand what the government and the Speaker wantrdquo Tharoor saidDenying one side the right to speak was ldquoabsolutely bizarrerdquo and contrary to parliamentary tradition he addedRahul Gandhi was seeking to clarify allegations against opposition says TharoorldquoThis is not the parliamentary culture we have been accustomed to over seven decades of democracy He was standing up to clarify allegations made against the opposition including claims that women MPs intended to attack the Prime Minister How would we know what he would have saidrdquo Tharoor asked reported PTIThe Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid a standoff between the government and the opposition over Gandhirsquos demand to speak before the Budget discussion beganWhen the House reconvened at 2 pm after two adjournments Sandhya Ray who was in the Chair asked Tharoor to initiate the Budget debate Tharoor requested that Gandhi as LoP be allowed to raise certain points firstRay said she had no objection if Gandhi wished to speak on the Budget and invited him to begin However Gandhi said an agreement had been reached at a meeting between Speaker Om Birla and opposition MPs allowing him to raise certain issues before the debate but alleged that the Chair was now reneging on it reported PTIRay said she was unaware of any such agreement and could not permit members to raise issues without prior noticeRijiju denies any agreement says Speaker must be present for remarksParliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju intervened denying the existence of any agreement and stating that if the LoP wanted to make remarks about the Speaker Birla should be present in the House to respond Rijiju added that other members would also speak and the matter could be discussed more broadlyWith neither side relenting the Chair adjourned the House for the dayWith PTI input