June 27th 2024.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had a meeting with Speaker Om Birla on Thursday. During the meeting, he expressed his disapproval of the reference to Emergency made by the Speaker, stating that it was clearly a political move that could have been avoided. The meeting was a courtesy call, and Gandhi took the opportunity to address the issue of Emergency being invoked in the House by the Speaker. Congress General Secretary, K C Venugopal, provided details of the meeting to reporters at the Parliament House.
According to Venugopal, the meeting was a courtesy call following the Speaker's declaration of Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition. He added that other leaders from the INDIA bloc also met with the Speaker. When asked if Gandhi discussed the issue of Emergency being raised, Venugopal stated that they discussed various topics regarding the functioning of Parliament, including this matter. He further stated that Gandhi, in his role as Leader of Opposition, informed the Speaker about his concerns and suggested that the reference could have been avoided.
In addition to the meeting, Venugopal also wrote a letter to Birla expressing the party's disappointment with the Speaker's decision to bring a resolution on the Emergency as his first task after assuming office. In his letter, he highlighted the seriousness of the matter and the impact it has on the credibility of Parliament. He also expressed concern over the unprecedented political reference made by the Chair in the House, which he believes goes against the traditions of Parliament.
The controversy began on Wednesday, after Birla, in his acceptance speech, read out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This act sparked protests by Congress members in the House. Birla reminded everyone that it was on June 26, 1975, that the country was faced with the harsh realities of Emergency, including the imprisonment of opposition leaders, media restrictions, and curtailment of judicial autonomy.
This meeting between Rahul Gandhi and the Speaker was the first since Gandhi took up the role of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He was accompanied by other leaders, including Dharmendra Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Kanimozhi, Supriya Sule, Misa Bharti, Kalyan Banerjee, N K Premachandran, and others. The meeting was seen as an opportunity for Gandhi to address his concerns and share his views on the matter.
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