It was his right as the Leader of the Opposition to speak in the House, but he was not being allowed to speak, while Ministers could make their statements, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday (July 21, 2025).

Mr. Gandhi made these remarks to reporters after the Lok Sabha witnessed an uproar over the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on Operation Sindoor, and the Pahalgam terror attack, on the first day of the Monsoon Session.

“The question is that the Defence Minister and their (the BJP) people are allowed to speak, but if someone from the Opposition wants to say something, he is not allowed,” Mr. Gandhi said, adding, “I am the Leader of the Opposition, it is my right [to speak in Parliament]. I am never allowed to speak.”

This was a “new approach” towards an Opposition leader, Mr. Gandhi said. “The debate will happen if they allow it…convention states that if people from the government say something, we (the Opposition) should also be given space. We wanted to say two words, but the Opposition was not allowed,” he said.

When reporters pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had termed the Monsoon Session as “Vijay Utsav”, with the world having seen the capability of the armed forces, Mr. Gandhi said, “He [Mr. Modi] ran out of the House in a second.”