'Strongest protest' | Preventing LoP from speaking 'blot on democracy: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday registered his “strongest protest” with Speaker Om Birla over him being prevented from speaking on the President's Address in Lok Sabha, saying it is a “blot on our democracy”.

Separately, he also claimed that a “compromised” Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “afraid” to let him talk about “Gen Naravane, Epstein Files and how he has surrendered on tariffs”.

Rahul also led a protest at the Makar Dwar of Parliament following the adjournment of Lok Sabha after protests erupted over the Leader of the Opposition being not allowed to continue his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address and the suspension of eight Opposition MPs.

In a letter to the Speaker, Rahul said he has authenticated an article he intended to refer to on Birla's directions and as he fulfilled the requirement, he should be allowed to speak while it becomes the responsibility of the government to respond.

"Preventing me from speaking in the Lok Sabha today not only violates the convention (allowing to speak after authenticating the document) but also gives rise to a serious concern that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent me, in my capacity, as the LoP, from speaking on matters of national security," he said.

Recalling that national security was a key part of the President's Address, he said it is the duty of the Speaker to safeguard the rights of every member, including those of the Opposition.

"The refusal of these basic democratic rights has led to an unprecedented situation. For the first time in Parliamentary history on the behest of the government, the Speaker has been forced to prevent the LoP from speaking on the President's Address. This is a blot on our democracy, against which I record my strongest protest," he said.

Talking to reporters in Parliament, he said, "PM Modi is compromised. The Prime Minister is too afraid to let me speak in Parliament about Naravane, Epstein Files and how he has surrendered on tariffs."

"I want to say three things. They are not allowing me to speak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is rattled. And the trade deal that had been stuck for the last four months, for some reason which Prime Minister Modi and I know, was sealed last evening," he said adding Modi is under "enormous pressure" and his "image balloon" that had been inflated with thousands of crores could burst.

Rahul also referred to the Epstein files as also the case against Adani in the US, claiming that they were "two pressure points" for the Prime Minister.

“Issue is not the Naravane statement. It is only a sideshow. He knows and I know. The main thing is that our Prime Minister is compromised. The people of India have to think who compromised our Prime Minister and how,” he said.