Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition MPs congratulated Om Birla on Wednesday for being elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha for a second term, expressing hopes that they would be allowed to raise the voice of the people in the House and that incidents like the suspension of MPs would not be repeated. Gandhi also urged the Speaker to ensure impartiality and emphasized the importance of cooperation between the government and the opposition.
Gandhi stated that the Opposition wants the House to function “often and well” and that it is very important that cooperation happens with trust. He countered the government’s claim that the previous Lok Sabha clocked high productivity, saying that running the House by silencing the opposition is an undemocratic idea. The Congress leader also congratulated Birla on behalf of the entire India alliance and emphasized that the House represents the voice of the people of India, not just the government.
Rahul Gandhi (Via Rahul Gandhi/Twitter)
Gandhi pointed out that this time the opposition represents significantly more voices of the Indian people than last time and stressed that it is very important that the voice of the opposition is allowed to be represented in the House. He expressed confidence that Birla would allow the opposition to speak in the House and represent the voice of the people of India. The leader of opposition also questioned the efficiency of the House, saying that the real issue is how much of India’s voice is allowed to be heard, not how efficiently the House is run.
Gandhi wrapped up by stating that the idea that the House can be run efficiently by silencing the voice of the opposition is a non-democratic concept. He emphasized that this election has shown that the people of India expect the opposition to defend the Constitution of the country, and that by allowing the opposition to speak, the Speaker will be fulfilling his duty of defending the Constitution of India. Gandhi’s remarks highlighted the importance of the opposition’s voice in the House and the need for cooperation and trust between the government and the opposition.
