The atmosphere in the Lok Sabha suddenly became heated on Tuesday (9 December 205) during the ongoing discussion on electoral reforms. When opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was raising the issue of independence of institutions and external influences on them, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla interrupted him. This heated exchange between the two created an uproar in the House.
Rahul Gandhi said in his statement that political interference has increased in important institutions of the country. According to him, Vice Chancellors in universities are being appointed on the basis of ideology rather than merit and this situation is worrying for democracy. Rahul also claimed that the government structure is being misused for electoral gains.
Om Birla’s strict warning
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha intervened immediately after Rahul Gandhi’s comments. Om Birla said that this discussion is focused only on election reforms, hence commenting on any organization or ideology is deviating from the topic. Birla gave a clear warning to Rahul saying that ‘challenging the posture is not appropriate and the speech should be limited to the basic issue.’
displeasure of the ruling party
As soon as Rahul Gandhi’s statement began, many BJP MPs raised objections. On this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the time of the House is being wasted in unnecessary comments. Instead of electoral reforms, organizations are being dragged and this attitude is diverting the discussion. The noise in the House increased due to continuous interrupting.
Rahul Gandhi’s reaction- ‘My voice is being suppressed’
Expressing dissatisfaction over being repeatedly stopped, Rahul Gandhi said that he was being deliberately obstructed. He asked whether I should leave the House. He said that he wants to speak on the impartiality of the Election Commission and the status of democratic institutions, but the ruling party is continuously stopping him. Rahul also said that “important questions are not being allowed to be raised.”
Serious questions on Election Commission
Returning to the topic, Rahul Gandhi said that doubts are increasing in the minds of people about the credibility of the Election Commission in the country. According to him, the decision making process is no longer transparent. Impartiality in appointments has weakened and the democratic structure is under pressure. Rahul also claimed that influencing the institutional structure is a long-running process.
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