Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla delivered a scathing rebuke to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of failing to adhere to parliamentary decorum. The dramatic episode, which culminated in the abrupt adjournment of the House.
During the session, Rahul Gandhi, who recently assumed the position of Leader of Opposition, attempted to speak on the Mahakumbh and unemployment.
Speaker Om Birla, however, remained steadfast in his stance, cautioning Gandhi about the necessity of maintaining the dignity of the House. Addressing the Lok Sabha, Birla invoked Rule 349, which mandates that all members uphold parliamentary decorum.
“It is expected of you to uphold the high parameters of decorum and sanctity of the House. Several incidents have come to my notice where members’ conduct was not in accordance with the dignity of the House,” Birla said, issuing a veiled but stern censure of the Congress leader.
In a remark that has since sparked speculation, Birla noted, “Fathers, daughters, mothers, wives, and husbands have been members of this House. In this context, I expect the LoP to conduct himself as per the rules.”
While the Speaker’s office refrained from elaborating on his comments, sources within the Parliament later revealed that multiple MPs had informally complained about Gandhi’s public display of affection towards his sister, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, inside the House.
According to these sources, his repeated gestures of affection had made some members uncomfortable and had been cited as an example of inappropriate conduct during parliamentary proceedings.
Recalling his past controversial actions in Parliament, during the 2023 Monsoon Session, Rahul Gandhi allegedly blew a “flying kiss” towards BJP women MPs. BJP leader Smriti Irani launched a blistering attack, condemned Gandhi’s behavior as “despicable,” asserting that his conduct was a disgrace to the dignity of the House.
“A man who did not have the decency to conduct himself in Parliament,” Irani said in a veiled yet scathing critique of the Congress leader, questioning his lack of respect for parliamentary norms.
In 2018, during a parliamentary debate on the no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers, Rahul Gandhi stunned the House with a theatrical display, walking across the aisle to hug Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His dramatic gesture, accompanied by the bizarre remark, “Main ek ek karke aapke andar jo pyaar hai usko nikalunga… aur aap sabko Congress mein badalunga”, was a desperate stunt rather than a moment of genuine political discourse.
After theatrically hugging PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi returned to his seat and brazenly winked at his party colleagues—a smug gesture that exposed his insincerity and turned his so-called display of “love” into a mockery.
While responding to the President’s address in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi embarrassed himself yet again by addressing Chairman P. Venugopal as “Madam Speaker.” Realising his blunder, he quickly apologised, but the damage was done. The incident reinforced the perception that Gandhi merely reads out speeches scripted by others, lacking basic awareness of the House proceedings.
