Kharge's salvo at Speaker: 'If House was not in order, how were other party leaders allowed to speak'

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said that the Congress leaders were not allowed to speak in the house, adding that the Speaker allowed leaders of other parties to speak.

"We were told that Parliamentary Affairs Minister will make a suo-moto statement on this matter, and we were waiting for that. The sad part is that the Speaker allowed a few people to raise this matter, and we also wanted to speak on the matter. I was told that the house is not in order. If the house was not in order then how did the question hour last for one hour, then how did the zero hour last for 45 minutes," Kharge told mediapersons here.

"If the house was not in order then how were leaders of other parties allowed to speak. We have to think whether one sided decisions are being taken?....We have even given it in writing that we were not allowed to speak," he added.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu had earlier in the day said that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will make a statement in the house over the Gurdaspur terror attack once the operation is over.

Naidu had also appealed to the opposition parties to speak in one voice and not politicise the matter.