BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday, accusing him of engaging in “politics over non-issues” and failing to establish Congress as a credible opposition party.
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s claim that he was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha, Bhattacharya dismissed the allegation as a baseless political stunt. “He is doing politics over non-issues. He could not prove Congress as a responsible Opposition party. No one considers Congress a responsible political organisation in the country right now,” Bhattacharya told ANI.
The row began after Rahul Gandhi alleged that despite being the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), he was not permitted to speak during the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. He claimed this violated parliamentary convention, especially since Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was allowed to address the House.
However, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was presiding over the House during the incident, refuted Gandhi’s claims. “I was Chairing the House at that time. I told Rahul Gandhi that his own party members were in the Well, shouting slogans and creating a ruckus. If they want to speak, they must first let the House function,” Pal explained.
Meanwhile, opposition parties under the INDIA bloc have listed eight key issues to raise during the session, including the Pahalgam terror attack and concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Despite giving adjournment notices, their demands were not accepted, leading to repeated disruptions.
Both Houses of Parliament witnessed adjournments—three in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha—amid protests and sloganeering from the opposition.
Rahul Gandhi, speaking to reporters outside Parliament, said: “The Defence Minister was allowed to speak. Why can’t the Opposition, including me as the LoP, be given time? This is a new approach that goes against parliamentary convention.”
The war of words marks a tense start to the monsoon session, with the BJP accusing the Congress of obstructionism, while the Opposition insists on space for meaningful debate on national issues.