Expect Leader of Opposition to follow rules of procedure: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday asked Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to follow the rules of procedure that members are expected to observe to uphold the dignity of the House.

It was not immediately clear what was the reason for the Speaker to make the observation.

The Speaker said members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the high standards and dignity of the House.

"Several instances have come to my notice where the conduct of members does not conform to the high standards," the Speaker said.

"In this House, father and daughter, mother and daughter, husband and wife have been members. In this context, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself in accordance with Rule 349 that deals with rules to be observed by members in the House," the Speaker said.

"Especially, it is expected of the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself as per the rules," the Speaker said.

Speaking outside the Parliament on the incident, Rahul Gandhi told PTI, "There is a convention that Leader of Opposition is allowed to speak. However, whenever I stand to speak, I am not allowed. Don't know how the House is functioning. We are not being allowed to say what we want. The whole spirit... I haven't done anything, I was sitting silently. I have not been allowed to speak in the last 7-8 days. There is no place for the Opposition... there is only place for the government. The PM spoke about Kumbh mela... I wanted to speak too but was not allowed. I don't know what the thinking and approach of the Speaker is but the truth is we are not being allowed to speak. It (House) is being run in an absolute non-democratic style."