RAS question
Who wrote to Speaker Om Birla alleging that preventing him from speaking in the Lok Sabha violates parliamentary convention?
Correct answer: (C) Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging that preventing him from speaking in the Lok Sabha violated parliamentary convention.
Explanation
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after he said he was prevented from speaking in the House during the Budget Session. The issue arose during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. The Economic Times reported that Gandhi said he had followed parliamentary procedure, including authenticating the material he intended to refer to, and argued that once a member authenticates a document and takes responsibility for it, the Chair normally allows the reference. He therefore described the restriction as a breach of parliamentary convention and linked it to the right of the Leader of Opposition and other members to speak in Parliament.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Sonia Gandhi is not named as the person who wrote the letter to Speaker Om Birla.
- (B) Mallikarjun Kharge is not identified as having written this letter; The Economic Times attributes it to Rahul Gandhi.
- (D) P. Chidambaram does not appear as the author of the letter in The Economic Times report.
Concept
This tests parliamentary conventions and the role of the Leader of Opposition in the functioning of the Lok Sabha. RAS repeatedly asks such current-governance items because they connect constitutional offices, House procedure and live political events.