New Delhi:

Maharashtra’s cyber police have registered a case after popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee’s spoof account on X posted an alleged fake message about Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s daughter, a senior official said on Saturday.

According to the state cyber department, the account with the handle @dhruvrahtee had claimed on X that Birla’s daughter had cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam without appearing for it.

The X bio of the account reads, “This is the fan and parody account and not affiliated with the original account of @dhruv_rathee. Not impersonating anyone. This account is Parody.”

Acting on a complaint by a relative of Birla, police booked the YouTuber under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections for defamation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and statement leading to mischief, as well as the IT Act, the official said.

When pointed out that the alleged fake message was posted by a parody account and not the one belonging to Mr Rathee, the official said, “We are investigating the matter.”

The parody account on Saturday posted another tweet saying, “As directed by @MahaCyber1, I have deleted all my posts and comments on Anjali Birla, I will like to apologize as I was unaware about the facts and copied someone else’ tweets and shared it.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) to the two-day 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum meeting which begins in Russia’s St Petersburg on Thursday.

The forum is being held with the theme of ‘Role of Parliaments in Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security’.

The Indian delegation also includes Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Rajya Sabha MP Shambhu Sharan Patel, Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh and Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Modi, among other officials.

“Leading an IPD to the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Looking forward to strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation with BRICS and the invitee countries. Eager to meet and connect with the vibrant Indian Diaspora during this visit,” Om Birla posted on X.

Leading an IPD to 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Looking forward to strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation with BRICS and the invitee countries. Eager to meet and connect with the vibrant Indian Diaspora during this visit.

— Om Birla (@ombirlakota) July 10, 2024

The Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Parliament Speakers of other countries at the sidelines of the event. He will also present India’s stance on relevant issues and meet Indian expatriates in Moscow.

Om Birla will present his views on two sub-topics during the plenary session- ‘BRICS Parliamentary Dimension- Possibilities of Strengthening Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation’ and ‘Role of Parliaments in Overcoming Threats Related to Fragmentation of the Multilateral Trading System and the Consequences of Global Crises’.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh will also address the forum on two sub-topics during the plenary session – ‘Role of Parliaments in Increasing the Efficiency of the System of International Relations and Ensuring Its Democratisation’ and ‘Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation in Humanitarian and Cultural Fields’.

A joint statement will be passed at the conclusion of the summit.

Apart from the BRICS countries, which include four new members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates) since January, Speakers and Parliament Members from the other invited countries, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan with the Chairperson of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Tulia Aksen will participate in the meetings of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi – whose scorching speech in Parliament Monday, which triggered a furious pushback from the BJP and interventions, twice, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi – wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla this morning to question the expunging of parts of that address.

Mr Gandhi acknowledged the Speaker’s authority to “expunge certain remarks” but argued this power ought only to be exercised to strike out “those kinds of words… the nature of which have been specified in Rule 380 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha”.

“I am, however, shocked to note the manner in which considerable portions of my speech have been simply taken off from the proceedings under the garb of expunction. I am enclosing relevant portions of uncorrected Debates of Lok Sabha dated July 2… constrained to state the portions expunged do not come under the ambit of Rule 380,” the Congress leader told Mr Birla.

“What I sought to convey in the House is ground reality… the factual position… every member of the House who personifies the collective voice of the people whom he or she represents has freedom of speech…. it is every member’s right to raise people’s concerns on the floor of the House.”

“I am writing this in the context of remarks and portions expunged from my speech during discussion on Motion of Thanks on the President Address on 1 July 2024.”

Here is LoP Shri @RahulGandhi‘s letter to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/3Cepk0TtMy

— Congress (@INCIndia) July 2, 2024

“It is that right… I was exercising yesterday. Taking off from records my considered remarks goes against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy,” Mr Gandhi wrote.

The Congress leader also flagged a speech by Union Minister Anurag Thakur, which he said was “full of allegations” had only seen one word removed. “… This selective expunction defies logic,” he said.

“Lie And If You Get Fact-Checked…”

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla has responded to Rahul Gandhi’s letter, accusing the Congress MP of playing the “victim card” and claiming “crores of Hindus are violent”.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, “There is a new trend in Rahul Gandhi’s world. Lie, and if you get fact-checked, play the victim card… Congress Party is writing letters and saying out loud… pic.twitter.com/vUEpLXMSGd

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2024

“There is a new trend in Rahul Gandhi’s world. Lie, and if you get fact-checked, play victim card. The Congress is writing letters and saying out loud ‘Hindus are violent’. They are standing with this statement. They are saying crores of Hindus are ‘violent. This is that section which cannot speak ‘Islamist terror’… but they speak (of) ‘Hindu terror’… ” Mr Poonawalla raged.

Rahul Gandhi’s Parliament Speech

Sections of Mr Gandhi’s first speech as the Leader of the Opposition were struck down this morning, including comments about Mr Modi and the BJP, and the latter’s ideological mentor, the RSS.

READ | To Rahul Gandhi’s Jab At BJP, A Response From RSS

Comments about alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance tests and the Agnipath military recruitment scheme (he was fact-checked by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh) were also removed.

READ | BJP Alleges Rahul Insulted Hindus, Parts Of Speech Expunged

Among other points raised, Mr Gandhi had demanded an immediate debate on the NEET row.

Mr Gandhi’s no-holds-barred jabs provoked Mr Modi – who does not usually intervene when an opposition leader is speaking in Parliament – to stand up twice.

BJP Hits Back At Rahul Gandhi

The BJP’s immediate fightback also included Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an apology, while his cabinet colleagues Kiren Rijiju and Ashwini Vaishnaw led a considered rebuttal in the evening.

READ | 2 Ministers, MP Lead Fightback Against Rahul Gandhi’s Speech

Mr Vaishnaw and Mr Rijiju, and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, accused Mr Gandhi of belittling his post and of making an “extremely irresponsible speech” that inflicted a “grave insult” on Hindus.

Mr Modi is due to respond to Rahul Gandhi’s speech; he will speak in the Lok Sabha this evening and is expected to address the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

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New Delhi:
After Rahul Gandhi’s fiery speech in Parliament yesterday, in which he launched a scathing attack on BJP – large portions of which have been expunged from official records – the stage is set for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anticipated response

Here are 10 points on this big story:

New Delhi:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today questioned why Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla bowed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his re-election on Wednesday. To this, Mr Birla replied that his values had taught him to respect elders and to meet equals as an equal.

Mr Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, was speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address. Referring to the moments after Mr Birla was elected as Speaker for the second time, he said, “I shook hands with the Prime Minister and you and then we walked you to the Chair. You are the final arbiter of the Lok Sabha. What you say fundamentally defines Indian democracy. There are two people sitting in that Chair. There is the Speaker of Lok Sabha and there is Mr Om Birla.”

“When Modiji went and shook your hand and I went and shook your hand, I noticed something. When I shook your hand, you stood straight. When Modiji shook your hand, you bowed down,” he said, prompting loud cheers from the Opposition benches. The remark triggered angry reactions from the treasury benches. 

Responding to Mr Gandhi, Mr Birla replied, “Prime Minister is the leader of the House and my values tell me to bow and show respect to those elder to me in public life and personal life. And to meet equals as an equal. These are my values.”

To this, Mr Gandhi replied, “I respect what you said. But I want to tell you, no one is bigger than you in this House. We all must bow down before you. You must not bow down before anyone.”

Dramatic scenes played out in Lok Sabha today during Mr Gandhi’s address. At one point, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP in accusing the Leader of the Opposition of insulting Hindus.

The attack came after Mr Gandhi launched a fierce attack on the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, claiming that neither truly represented all Hindus.

Responding to Mr Gandhi, the Prime Minister stood up and said, “Calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue…” The Congress leader replied, “Modi ji, BJP, and RSS is not the entire Hindu community”.

New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha congratulated the Indian cricket team on Monday for winning the T20 World Cup. Speaker Om Birla said the country’s youngsters and sportspersons would derive inspiration from the victory.

Mr Birla congratulated the team led by Rohit Sharma on the feat.

India lifted the T20 World Cup after a 17-year gap, beating South Africa by seven runs in the final on June 29. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla chided Congress member Deepender Hooda over certain remarks as Shashi Tharoor chanted ‘Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan (constitution)’ after taking oath as a member of the House.

“He is already taking oath on the Constitution,” Mr Birla commented when opposition members chanted ‘Jai Samvidhan’ as Mr Tharoor took oath as Lok Sabha member.

At this point, Mr Hooda, a member from Rohtak, said the Speaker should not be objecting to this.

“Don’t give me any advice on what I should or should not object to. Take your seat,” the Speaker said, addressing Mr Hooda.

Reacting to the development, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wondered whether one cannot say ‘Jai Samvidhan’ in Parliament.

“People from the ruling party were not stopped when they raised unparliamentary and unconstitutional slogans in Parliament, but when the opposition MPs raised ‘Jai Samvidhan’ slogans, they were objected to,” she said in a post on X.

“The anti-Constitution sentiment that emerged during the elections has now taken a new form, which seeks to weaken our Constitution,” Ms Gandhi said.

“Will the Constitution, on the basis of which Parliament functions, on which every member takes oath, which gives protection of life and livelihood, be opposed to suppress the voice of the opposition?” the Congress general secretary asked.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The re-election of Om Birla to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post – a formality given the ruling BJP-led coalition always had the numbers – was followed by a flurry of congratulatory messages, and appeals to the Kota MP to run an impartial House – from opposition leaders, including the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi.

The opposition MPs – who backed the Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh – struck several common notes, including urging Mr Birla, a three-time BJP MP from Rajasthan’s Kota, to ensure impartiality in conduct of the House and to allow their members time to voice their concerns and criticisms.

The reference – made overtly by some – was to the shocking mass suspension of MPs last year.

READ | Be Impartial, Defend Constitution”: Opposition MPs To Om Birla

Nearly two-third of the opposition was ejected by Mr Birla amid vociferous protests on several issues, including a security breach that month. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor – re-elected to the 18th Lok Sabha from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram – called the suspensions a “betrayal of democracy”.

Today, after a rare election for the post of the Speaker – traditionally a unanimous pick to underscore bonhomie on conduct of the House – the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi – was the first opposition leader to speak, and he immediately took a jab at the new two-time Speaker.

READ | Rahul Gandhi Debuts As Leader of Opposition With Sharp Message

“I am confident you will allow us to speak. The question is not how efficiently the House is run… it is how much of India’s voice is being heard. So the idea you can run the House efficiently – by silencing the voice of the opposition – is a non-democratic idea, and this election has shown the people expect the opposition to defend the Constitution,” Mr Gandhi, now Leader of the Opposition, said.

Mr Gandhi contested and won the Congress’ Raebareli bastion in Uttar Pradesh and its stronghold of Wayanad in Kerala. He will surrender the latter and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the bypoll.

The Congress leader was followed by Akhilesh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party is a member of the INDIA bloc and the third-largest party in the Lok Sabha, thanks to a stunning show in Uttar Pradesh.

“We expect the voice of the opposition will not be crushed… we expect there will be no more expulsions,” Mr Yadav said, urging Om Birla to ensure equality in treatment of all MPs.

READ | “Hope Suspension Of MPs Will…”: Akhilesh Yadav To Speaker

“We hope you will give equal respect to every MP… we will stand by all your just decisions (but) expect it won’t be just the opposition kept under check,” Mr Yadav, who won the Kannauj seat, said.

The Trinamool’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay and the DMK’s TR Baalu made similar appeals.

Mr Bandyopadhyay – whose party demurred yesterday over the nomination of K Suresh – said the functioning of the House depended on maintaining parliamentary democratic practice.

“It is my firm belief, so far as parliamentary democratic practice is concerned, that the House belongs to the opposition. This attitude needs to be adopted by the ruling party,” he said.

He referred to last year’s mass suspension of MPs and called it “not desirable”.

Mr Baalu, meanwhile, reminded the new Speaker that he does not, now, belong to any party.

“You might have been elected by my BJP friends (but) there can now be no politics between you and the powers. You have to treat the opposition and the ruling party the same. Kindly be impartial,” he said.

PM’s Praise For Speaker

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his congratulations to Mr Birla and declared the Kota lawmaker will play a significant role in ensuring the House meets the expectations of the people.

READ | PM Praises Speaker Om Birla: “Key Bills Passed Under Your Leadership”

“I congratulate you on behalf of the entire House and look forward to your guidance for the next five years,” the Prime Minister said, adding “Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy.”

This was only the third election for a Lok Sabha Speaker since independence.

Voting took place after the Congress forced a contest and fielded eight-time MP K Suresh. The numbers, though, were always on Mr Birla’s side; he had 297 votes to the opposition pick’s 232.

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New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said that he hoped that actions like suspension of MPs would not be taken in the 18th Lok Sabha. Speaking shortly after NDA’s Om Birla was re-elected as the Lok Sabha speaker, Mr Yadav said he believed that the BJP MP would be impartial towards the opposition and give its leaders equal opportunity.

“I congratulate you and extend you best wishes on behalf of all my colleagues. The post that you are occupying has glorious traditions attached to it. We believe that this will continue without any discrimination and as Lok Sabha Speaker you will give equal opportunities and respect to every member and party,” he said. 

ALSO READ | PM Praises Speaker Om Birla: “Key Bills Passed Under Your Leadership”

“Impartiality is a great responsibility of this great position… We expect that no public representative’s voice will be stifled, nor will an action like expulsion take place again,” he said.

Mr Yadav was apparently referring to the unprecedented suspension of more than 100 MPs during the Winter Session of Parliament last year.

“लोकसभा के नवनिर्वाचित अध्यक्ष जी को मैं बहुत-बहुत बधाई और शुभकामनाएं देना चाहता हूं। उम्मीद है लोकसभा के अध्यक्ष के रूप में आप हर सांसद और हर दल को बराबरी का मौका और सम्मान देंगे, निष्पक्षता इस महान पद की जिम्मेदारी है, किसी भी जनप्रतिनिधि की आवाज दबाई न जाए।”

– श्री अखिलेश… pic.twitter.com/oJEOc0UMVq

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) June 26, 2024

“Your control is on the Opposition but it should be on the ruling side too. The House should function on your signals and not the other way round,” he said.

“I hope that you would respect the Opposition as much as you respect the ruling dispensation and let them present their side,” Mr Yadav said.

Rahul Gandhi’s Similar Appeal To Lok Sabha Speaker

Speaking before Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also made a similar appeal to Om Birla and said that “it is very important that the voice of the Opposition is allowed to be represented in this House”.

“I am confident that you will allow us to speak. The question is not how efficiently the House is run. The question is how much of India’s voice is being allowed to be heard. So the idea that you can run the House efficiently by silencing the voice of the Opposition is a non-democratic idea. And this election has shown that the people of India expect the Opposition to defend the Constitution,” Mr Gandhi said.

LIVE: Welcoming the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha https://t.co/NvAdTFvoyP

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 26, 2024

“We are confident that by allowing the Opposition to speak, you will do your duty of defending the Constitution,” Mr Gandhi, who is also named as the leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, said.

ALSO READ | PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi Shake Hands As They Welcome New Lok Sabha Speaker

Mr Birla, a three-time BJP MP from Rajasthan’s Kota, was elected Lok Sabha Speaker for the second consecutive time on Wednesday after he won the election by a voice vote.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, set to be Leader of Opposition, shook hands today in parliament as they together welcomed the newly re-elected Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, marking a fresh chapter in the 18th Lok Sabha.

Rahul Gandhi is the third member of the Gandhi family to take the post of the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Gandhi follows in the footsteps of his mother, Sonia Gandhi, who served from 1999 to 2004, and his father, Rajiv Gandhi, who was the Leader of the Opposition from 1989 to 1990.

Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab declared the election results after the Opposition, which had put forward Congress MP K Suresh as its candidate, chose not to push for a vote on the motion.

Following the announcement, Prime Minister Modi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju approached Mr Birla’s seat in the front row of the treasury benches to escort him to the Speaker’s chair. Accompanying them was Rahul Gandhi.

“It is a matter of honour that you have been elected to this chair for the second time,” PM Modi said, congratulating Mr Birla. “I congratulate you on behalf of the entire House and look forward to your guidance for the next five years. Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy.”

“I would like to congratulate you on behalf of the entire opposition and the INDIA alliance,” said Rahul Gandhi. “You are the final arbiter of people’s voice. The government may have political power, but Opposition also represents the voice of the people. Opposition would like to assist you in your work, I am confident you will allow us to speak in House.”

The history of the Leader of the Opposition in India dates back to 1969 when Ram Suhag Singh first held the post. Since then, this role has evolved to become a cornerstone of parliamentary democracy. The Leader of the Opposition plays a key part in the appointment of key officials such as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), and members of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Lokayukta.