Rahul Gandhi claims LoP not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha for the first time in history

Rahul Gandhi criticized PM Modi for not allowing him to speak in Lok Sabha and accused him of rushing a US trade deal without cabinet consultation.

Published on: Feb 25, 2026, 06:52:09 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Bhopal: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that for the first time in the history, leader of the Opposition (the post he holds) was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha, in reference to the repeated disruptions during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the recently concluded first half of the Budget session.

Rahul Gandhi claims LoP not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha for the first time in history

Addressing a Kisan Mahachaupal organised by the Congress against the United States-India trade deal in Bhopal, Gandhi said, “I was interrupted once and twice when I tried to talk about former army chief MM Naravane’s book in the Lok Sabha. I was about to talk about farmers too but I was stopped from speaking.”

Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the trade deal, saying it was done without consultation with any cabinet members. “He [Modi] was under pressure due to the Epstein files and Adani’s criminal cases,” he alleged.

Gandhi said, “No action was taken for four months and suddenly the PM Modi left Lok Sabha and made a call to US President Donald Trump that he was ready to sign the deal.”

Addressing the gathering, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also criticised Modi on the trade deal. “A deal is done between two equals. Modi was made to bend...threatened with tariffs,” Kharge said.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav hit back at Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi is coming today, but we work for farmers 365 days a year. Rahul should apologise to the people of the state. Congress government shouldn’t talk about farmers. His government was formed in 1956, so why was the area under irrigation limited to only 750,000 hectares from then until 2003? Congress did injustice to the farmers.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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