Cong leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury writes to LS Speaker against 'govt-sponsored disruption' in House

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against the ''government-sponsored disruption'' in the House and urged him to ensure that opposition members get an opportunity to express their views in a fair manner.

He also alleged that the mike on his table ''has been muted for the past three days'' and claimed that it '' amply substantiates'' Rahul Gandhi's statement that ''mikes of the opposition members are often muted in India''.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have failed to transact any business for the last three days since the Budget Session resumed, with the BJP pressing for an apology from Gandhi, whom it accused of insulting India on foreign soil with his remarks on democracy.

''I am deeply disheartened to observe that ever since the House resumed after the break on 13th March 2023, there has been a Government-sponsored disruption in the House.

''It appears to me as if there is a well-hatched conspiracy on the part of the party in power to tarnish the image of an individual member of an Opposition Party (Sh. Rahul Gandhi),'' Chowdhury said in his letter to the Speaker.

What is more disturbing is that even the ministers vociferously take the lead in disrupting proceedings and the voice of leaders of opposition parties is not being heard, he alleged.

''With a deep sense of displeasure, I would like to bring to your notice that the mike before my table has been muted for the past three days, as a result of which I failed to articulate my views in protest to the frivolous and wild allegations against my party leader (Shri Rahul Gandhi).

''Sir, the disruption by the treasury bench members, the lead role being played by the ministers in disrupting the House, silencing of all the mikes of opposition members goes on to amply substantiate the views expressed by Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji that 'mikes of the opposition members are often muted in India','' the Congress leader alleged.

The institution of Parliament is considered a formidable pillar of democracy and the conduct of a smooth functioning of Parliament reveals, to a great extent, the success of democracy in a country, he asserted.

''I would like to make an appeal to you to kindly ensure that the opposition members get an opportunity to ventilate their viewpoints in the House in a fair manner and thus enjoy the basic political right as an elected representative,'' he said in his letter to Birla.

The Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee said he is writing with a heavy heart and a deep sense of anguish, over the manner in which the House was functioning.

While the first half of the Budget session was overshadowed by the Adani row with the opposition parties led by the Congress demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe, the issue of Rahul's remarks in the UK on democracy and that Opposition members are has set off another impasse between the government and the Opposition.

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