Modi govt decided not to let LoPs speak: Kharge after Opposition walkout

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said opposition parties walked out of the Rajya Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address as the government had “made up its mind” not to allow Leaders of Opposition to speak in Parliament.

Flanked by leaders of several opposition parties in the Upper House, Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, alleged that both he and Rahul Gandhi were being deliberately denied an opportunity to speak, either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.

“The Modi government has decided that neither of the two Leaders of Opposition will be allowed to speak. This is their mindset,” Kharge told reporters after the walkout.

He alleged that while opposition leaders were repeatedly restrained, ruling party members were allowed to speak freely and make personal attacks without intervention. Referring to remarks made by BJP MPs in Parliament, Kharge said, “One person is given the microphone, he hurls abuses at will from the mic and the government remains silent. Has the BJP ever condemned this?”

Kharge said the opposition’s decision to walk out was a collective protest against what it described as the systematic curtailment of parliamentary rights. “That is why all opposition parties decided that if we are not allowed to speak, then we will walk out and register our protest,” he said.

He also alleged that senior opposition leaders and freedom fighters were being insulted in Parliament without redress. “Our great leaders who sacrificed for the country, who went to jail during the freedom struggle, are being insulted. We strongly condemn that,” Kharge said.

The walkout took place during Prime Minister Modi’s reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha, mirroring similar disruptions and protests witnessed in the Lok Sabha in recent days.

Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the government of stifling dissent and undermining parliamentary conventions during the ongoing Budget session, a charge the ruling BJP has denied.