New Delhi, Feb 9 (NationPress) The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, asserted on Monday that Speaker Om Birla guaranteed him the opportunity to address the House prior to the Union Budget discussions, prompting a sharp response from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. This exchange resulted in chaos that ultimately led to the day's adjournment.

The Lok Sabha reconvened at 2 p.m. after being suspended earlier in the day. However, just seven minutes post-reopening, it was again adjourned.

Chairing the session, Sandhya Ray called upon Congress member Shashi Tharoor to speak on the Union Budget in accordance with the agenda, but he asked her to allow the LoP to speak first.

Gandhi remarked: "Our members approached the Speaker. He personally assured us that I would be permitted to speak and raise points before the Budget discussion. Now, it seems he is reneging on his promise. Can I speak about those points or not?"

To this, Ray responded, "No."

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister stated, "I, along with (Congress member K.C.) Venugopal, was present in the Speaker's Chamber. I can confirm that the Speaker indicated that if there was consensus, the House would run smoothly. Venugopal expressed a desire for the LoP to speak, but it was agreed that discussions would proceed based on the pre-decided agenda. Gandhi's statements are not entirely accurate; the Speaker did not guarantee exclusive speaking rights to the Congress but mentioned that all parties would be allowed to speak."

Despite Rijiju's clarification, Opposition MPs voiced their discontent, leading to further disruptions and the day's adjournment.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha faced another adjournment as opposition members persisted in their slogan chanting.

Chairman Krishna Prasad Tenneti attempted to calm the Opposition MPs, urging them to return to their seats so that proceedings could continue; however, the uproar continued.

As Congress members urged Tenneti to let Gandhi speak, he declined, stating that the House would follow the agenda, with Tharoor slated to be the initial speaker.

When asked if Gandhi wished to address the Union Budget, the Opposition MPs declined.

Tenneti encouraged Tharoor to proceed with his speech, but Tharoor responded that he would "leave it to the LoP."

When the uproar persisted, Tenneti adjourned the House until 2 p.m.

Previously, just minutes into the Question Hour, Speaker Birla suspended the session until noon due to ongoing disruptions.

Members of the Congress party requested that the Speaker allow the Leader of the Opposition to speak, to which the Speaker replied that all members would have the opportunity to address the House according to the rules after the Question Hour, suggesting that Gandhi could voice his concerns during the upcoming Budget debate. However, because of the continued disruptions, he decided to adjourn the session.

Notably, Gandhi was unable to complete his remarks during the Motion of Thanks for the President's Address the previous week, as he was prohibited from mentioning an "unpublished book" by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane (Retd.).