New Delhi, Feb 9 (NationPress) The atmosphere inside Lok Sabha was electric on Monday, as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi intensified his criticism of the Union government, asserting that it was intimidated by open discussions and was resorting to “false and baseless” claims of conspiracy aimed at undermining Prime Minister Narendra Modi within the Parliament.

Speaking to reporters after the adjournment of Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi listed numerous allegations against the Modi government and the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing them of applying different standards for lawmakers in a bid to silence the Opposition.

Making bold claims regarding unpublished memoirs of former Army Chief M.M. Naravane, he stated that the book is available and the Union government is obstructing him from referencing “uncomfortable truths” from it, a charge strongly refuted by the Centre.

“The Defence Minister lied about the book; it is published and publicly accessible. When we (Congress) attempted to bring it up, the Leader of the Opposition was prevented from doing so,” Rahul Gandhi asserted to the media.

Addressing the “planned attack” insinuation directed at the Opposition MPs by the Lok Sabha Speaker, he argued that unfounded and unnecessary claims were being propagated to distract from pressing issues.

“If there’s any such occurrence, an FIR should be filed immediately, and those involved must face the law,” the Leader of the Opposition demanded.

It’s noteworthy that the Lok Sabha passed the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address without a response from the Prime Minister on February 5, as his address was cancelled at the last minute following Speaker Birla’s suggestion that he abstain from attending the House proceedings.

Rahul Gandhi expressed displeasure over BJP members being permitted to make “offensive and derogatory” remarks in the House against former Congress Prime Ministers while Congress MPs faced suspension for voicing their dissent.

At least eight Opposition lawmakers were suspended by the Lok Sabha Speaker during discussions on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, after they tore papers and threw them at the Chair.

Rahul Gandhi’s series of accusations emerge amidst a stalemate in the Lower House, fueled by ongoing confrontations between the government and the Opposition.

Both sides met with Speaker Birla on Monday and may have reached an agreement, as Rahul Gandhi indicated that he has been permitted to discuss certain matters, excluding the Union Budget.

The BJP, dismissive of Rahul Gandhi’s claims regarding the Speaker’s “commitment”, retaliated, accusing him and the Congress party of deliberately inciting chaos by raising issues that are prohibited under the Official Secrets Act.

BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala rejected the Leader of the Opposition’s assertions about the unpublished memoirs being public and accused Rahul Gandhi of openly violating the Official Secrets Act, which prohibits the public discussion of national security matters.

“Rahul Gandhi has been selectively quoting from the unpublished manuscript, undermining the Chair and breaching parliamentary protocols. He prioritizes family over party,” Poonawala cautioned, adding that the Leader of the Opposition may face legal repercussions for violating the Official Secrets Act.

He also noted that the memoirs authored by former Army Chief Naravane, which detail the 2020 Galwan conflict between India and China, are under the Defence Ministry's scrutiny and await approval for release.