Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday expressed shock after some portions of his speech were taken off from the proceedings and said it is ‘against parliamentary democracy’.
Talking to reporters at the Parliament premises, Gandhi said, “Truth can be expunged in the world of Modi ji. But in the reality truth cannot be expunged. I said what I had to say, let them expunge as much as they want. Truth is truth”.
Earlier in the day in a letter addressed to Speaker Om Birla, Gandhi said, “Taking off from records my considered remarks goes against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy”.
“I am writing this in the context of remarks and portions expunged from my speech during discussion on Motion of Thanks To the President’s Address on July 1,” he said.
“I am however, shocked to note the manner in which considerable portion of my speech has been simply taken off from the proceedings under the garb of expunction,” he added.
Gandhi said he was enclosing the portions of the uncorrected debates of Lok Sabha dated July 2 and the portions expunged does not come under the ambit of Rule 380.
“Every member of the House who personifies the collective voice of people whom he or she represents has the freedom of speech as enshrined in Article 105(1) of the Constitution of India. It is every member’s right to raise people’s concern on the floor of the House,” Gandhi said.
“It was that right and in exercise of my obligations to the people of the country, that I was exercising yesterday,” the senior Congress leader said.
Notably, on Monday, during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address Rahul Gandhi’s “Hindu” remark led to ruckus, inviting sharp criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who called it a “serious matter.”
