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Gandhi said that the refusal of these basic democratic rights had created an unprecedented situation.
LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. (PTI photos)
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Speaker Om Birla, lodging a strong protest after being barred from speaking on a matter of national security, calling the move as a “blot on our democracy.”
In his letter, Gandhi said that while speaking on the Motion on the President’s Address on Monday, he was asked by the Speaker to authenticate a magazine he intended to refer to while discussing the India-China conflict of 2020. He added that he had complied with this requirement.
“By long-standing convention, including repeated rulings of past Speakers, a member who wishes to refer to a document in the House is required to authenticate it and affirm responsibility for its contents. I did so,” Gandhi wrote.
Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi writes a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.The letter reads, “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… pic.twitter.com/wAySZtKJUS
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2026
The Congress leader noted that once this is done, the Speaker allows the member to quote or refer to the document, after which it becomes the government’s responsibility to respond.
Gandhi told the Speaker that preventing him from speaking not only violated this convention but also suggested a “deliberate attempt” to stop him, in his capacity as the Leader of the Opposition, from addressing national security issues. He stressed that national security was a key part of the President’s Address and deserved discussion in Parliament.
He urged Om Birla, as the impartial custodian of the House, to safeguard the rights of all members, including the Opposition, noting that the right of the Leader of the Opposition and other members to speak is integral to Indian democracy.
Gandhi added that the refusal of these basic democratic rights had created an unprecedented situation. “For the first time in Parliamentary history, on the behest of the government, the Speaker has been forced to prevent the Leader of the Opposition from speaking on the President’s Address. This is a blot on our democracy, against which I record my strongest protest,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi had authenticated a copy of an article citing former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir.
However, the matter remained unresolved, prompting a brief adjournment. When Gandhi insisted on raising the issue, the Chair moved to other speakers, with TDP’s Harish Balayogi taking the floor after three opposition MPs refused to speak in solidarity with him.
(With inputs from agencies)
February 03, 2026, 19:55 IST
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