Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to intervene after he was not being allowed to speak freely in the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, reported PTI.

On Wednesday, Gandhi and other members of his party had walked out of a meeting of the parliamentary panel meet, alleging that they were not allowed to speak or discuss matters of national security. The panel’s chairperson and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jual Oram reportedly stopped Gandhi from speaking, when the latter sought to raise the matter of Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

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The confrontation took place during a discussion on the uniforms of the Army, Navy and Air Force in the presence of the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat. Gandhi intervened saying that instead of discussing uniforms, the political leadership should deliberate upon matters of national security and figure out ways to strengthen the forces who are fighting the Chinese troops in Ladakh.

“It is the right of a member to point out digressions from the agenda and the purpose of the Standing Committee,” the letter said, according to India Today. “The committee is free to disagree with what I say, but the fact that the chairman does not even permit a member to speak is a sad comment on how the government handles military affairs.”

Gandhi also said that the Speaker, being the custodian of Parliament, should make sure that the discussions and presentations in the defence committee were in line with its role and objectives. “Sir, as Speaker of the Lok Sabha and custodian of the House, I urge you to intervene,” he wrote.

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The Congress leader said he was displeased with the contents of the meeting and the way in which it was conducted, adding that it is meant to provide legislative oversight on the policies and decision of the ministry. He said the agenda at the meeting was military uniforms, but he felt it was unsurprising due to the current situation of the military, according to PTI.

Punjab CM says Gandhi walking out of meeting is justified

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Rahul Gandhi’s walkout from a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence was totally justified. Singh asserted that the parliamentary committee should have discussed strategic matters.

The Punjab chief minister appealed to the Lok Sabha Speaker to look into the committee’s functioning, and called it “absurd”. He highlighted that the panel’s members were focusing on the kind of polish to be used for shoes and buttons.

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“With both China and Pakistan breathing down India, the committee should have been discussing strategic security issues and the urgent requirements of our forces and not the polish they need to shine their shoes and buttons,” said Singh. “People who know nothing of the defence forces are made to sit on these committees now and we expect them to protect the nation. Politicians with no knowledge of our history and armed forces are sitting in the committee.”

Gandhi has repeatedly criticised the Centre for not being clear about the situation at the border and for giving conflicting statements about it. He had also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being scared of China and lying about the extent of Chinese intrusion in Indian territory.

The tensions along the Line of Actual Control started with initial scuffles that led to a pitched battle – without firearms – in June that saw 20 Indian soldiers killed. Beijing, however, refused to release casualty numbers on its side. Both India and China have accused each other of crossing into rival territory and of firing shots for the first time in 45 years.

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