India expects Opposition to defend Constitution: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday emphasised on the Opposition’s role in Parliament as the representative of the voice of India and hoped that Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla “will do his duty to defend the Constitution” by allowing the Opposition to speak, marking his first speech as Leader of the Opposition in the Lower House.

This is the first time in a decade that the Leader of the Opposition position in the Lok Sabha has been filled.

“India expects the Opposition to defend the Constitution of this country and we are confident that by allowing the Opposition to speak, by allowing us to represent the people of India, you will do your duty of defending the Constitution of India,” Gandhi told Birla while congratulating the latter for his election as the speaker.

Gandhi appeared in a kurta-pajama instead of the white T-shirt and trousers that had become his de-facto uniform since the Bharat Jodo Yatra days two years, as he assumed the role of the LoP for the first time in his parliamentary career spanning two decades.

His speech, right after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also tried to counter the PM’s assertion on the 17th Lok Sabha’s record-breaking performance under Birla’s leadership.

“Speaker sir, the question is not how efficiently the House is run, the question is how much of India’s voice is being allowed to be heard in this House. Speaker sir, so the idea that you can run the House efficiently by silencing the voice of the Opposition is a non-democratic idea,” Gandhi said.

But the Congress leader also took the first opportunity in the House to remind how the Opposition is stronger this time and capable to assert itself better than the previous two Lok Sabhas. “This House represents the voice of India’s people and you (speaker) are the final arbiter of that voice. Of course, the government has political power, but the Opposition also represents the voice of India’s people and this time, the Opposition represents significantly more voice of the Indian people than it did the last time,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi added that the Opposition “would like to assist” the speaker in doing his work and wants the House to “function often and well” but added, “It is very important that co-operation happens on the basis of trust. It is very important that the voice of the Opposition is allowed to be represented in this House. I am confident that you will allow us to represent our voice, allow us to speak, allow us to represent the voice of the people of India.”

Gandhi escorted Birla, soon after he was re-elected as the new speaker, to the Chair along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju. He greeted Birla and wished him for his new innings as the custodian of the Lower House.