NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed heated protests from Congress members following a remark by BJP MP Sambit Patra about leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi.
During a debate on supplementary demands for grants, excess grants, and the Manipur budget, Patra drew a comparison between cricket captain Rohit Sharma and Gandhi, citing a comment made by Congress leader Shama Mohamed about Sharma’s fitness. The remark sparked strong objections from Congress MPs, news agency PTI reported.
Presiding over the session, Sandhya Rai assured that the remarks would be expunged, but the protests continued. Speaker Om Birla later intervened, urging both treasury and opposition members to uphold the dignity of the House. As the Congress members remained adamant, Birla briefly adjourned proceedings for 10 minutes.
When the House reconvened, Birla reprimanded opposition members for challenging the Chair’s authority. Patra then stated that if his words had hurt Gandhi or any other member, he had no objection to withdrawing them.
Congress leader K C Venugopal raised concerns over inconsistencies in moderating personal attacks, suggesting that Speaker Birla acts against such remarks when presiding but other chairs do not. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned attacks on both members and the Chair, emphasizing the need for constructive debate.
Birla reiterated that parliamentary discussions should focus on policies rather than personal remarks, citing past instances where he had expunged comments on the president and prime minister.