New Delhi [India], February 2 (HBTV): The Lok Sabha witnessed sharp verbal exchanges during the Budget Session on Monday after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sought to quote a magazine article carrying excerpts from the unpublished memoir of former Indian Army chief General M M Naravane.
Gandhi’s reply during the motion of thanks on the President’s Address was interrupted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who objected to the reference, stating that an unpublished book that had not been authenticated could not be quoted in the House.
Early in his speech, Rahul Gandhi referred to an allegation made by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya against the Congress, linking it to issues of patriotism and national culture. The ruling benches objected when Gandhi attempted to cite excerpts from the unpublished memoir of the former Army chief.
Responding to Surya’s allegation, Gandhi said, ‘A young colleague over there made an allegation against the Congress Party. I was not going to raise this issue, but because he has raised the issue about our patriotism, our understanding of Indian culture, I’d like to start by reading something. And this is from the memoir of Army Chief Naravane. And I’d like you to listen nicely. You will understand exactly who is patriotic, who is not.’
Gandhi further said the passage related to an incident at Doklam when, according to him, ‘four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory’ and attempting to take control of a ridge. He added, ‘The Army Chief writes, and I quote from an article that is quoting his book.’
National Democratic Alliance MPs objected, arguing that the memoir had not been published and could not be cited in the House.
Seeking clarification, Rajnath Singh asked whether the book being cited had been formally published. ‘I want that LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published,’ the Defence Minister said.
Rahul Gandhi responded that his source was authentic and that the quotations appeared in a published magazine article citing the unpublished memoirs of General M M Naravane, who served as Chief of the Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022.
However, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla ruled that unpublished material could not be read out in the House and denied permission to proceed. Opposition members demanded that Gandhi be allowed to read from the memoir, while treasury bench members maintained that House rules did not permit references to unpublished works.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, ‘The Speaker has given a ruling that articles from magazines or newspapers cannot be quoted in the House. Debate in the House should be held according to the laws.’
He added that the House should also consider what action should be taken against a member who did not obey the Speaker’s ruling, as Rahul Gandhi continued to raise the issue of China and attempted to quote from a magazine article despite the ruling.
The standoff continued for nearly 30 minutes, with disruptions from both sides. Later, Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav supported the Leader of the Opposition, saying, ‘The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak.’
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also intervened during the exchange as the House remained divided, before proceedings moved ahead amid continued interruptions.
The House has allotted 18 hours for the discussion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply on February 4, while Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to respond on February 11.
The Budget Session will span 30 sittings over 65 days and conclude on April 2. Both Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to allow Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments. (ANI)