Did Chaos Erupt in LS After Rahul Gandhi Raised the Ladakh Standoff Issue?
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New Delhi, Feb 2 (NationPress) A commotion erupted in the Lok Sabha on Monday when the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, brought up the contentious issue of the India-China standoff, leading to interruptions from the treasury benches who claimed it was against the rules of the House.
Gandhi, while addressing the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, took aim at BJP MP Tejasvi Surya for casting doubt on the Congress party's patriotism and referenced former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's book, which discusses the Ladakh standoff.
“There should be no debate on who is patriotic; our patriotism remains intact,” he stated.
In response to the Ladakh issue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh contested Gandhi's quotations, questioning whether the book had been published. “If it hasn’t, then such references are not permissible,” Singh remarked.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla added that quoting unpublished works contravenes House rules.
This incited an uproar from the opposition. Subsequently, Home Minister Amit Shah stated, “These quotes are not from the former Army Chief's book; magazines can write anything. We simply want clarity on whether the book is published.”
The Leader of Opposition countered that his source was genuine and included excerpts from former Army Chief M.M. Naravane's unpublished memoirs, alleging that the government is attempting to suppress the book's publication.
Gandhi quoted the magazine, which purportedly cited the former Army Chief, stating, “It mentioned Rajnath Singh.”
The opposition benches erupted in protest, claiming that the LoP was being denied the opportunity to speak.
Gandhi persisted, asserting that his source, a magazine, is credible, and he intends to raise the issue by quoting the publication.
Support for Gandhi came from Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav, who said, “The China issue is extremely sensitive, and if there’s any suggestion regarding national interest, the LoP should undoubtedly voice it.”