Rahul Gandhi meets Speaker with request to expunge remarks against him, ensure House functions

New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday and urged him to expunged remarks made by BJP MPs against him, and ensure the House functions smoothly.

Gandhi said the BJP has been making "baseless" allegations against him to "distract" attention from the Adani issue, but he would not be provoked by any of these charges.

He also said he and his party wanted a discussion on the Constitution in Lok Sabha starting December 13, and asserted they will ensure the House functions properly, even though it is not their responsibility.

"I had a meeting with the Speaker and I told him that our party is saying that derogatory comments against me be expunged. The Speaker said he will examine them. They (the BJP) continue to make all kinds of baseless allegations, but we have decided that we want the House to function.

"Whatever provocation they do, we will allow them. But we will try and run the House. We would want that somehow the House functions. We want there should be a debate and discussion. We want that there should be a debate on the Constitution on December 13," Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament.

He said BJP MPs can speak against "me on whatever issue, but the debate on the Constitution should happen".

"It is very simple, they do not want a discussion on the Adani issue and want to distract from the Adani issue. You know, we will not leave them at the end," he said.

Earlier in the day, Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi wrote to the Speaker, urging him to examine the party's complaint against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's "defamatory remarks" against Rahul Gandhi and remove them from the record.

Gogol said after the Speaker's decision, the Congress party is keen to participate in the legislative business listed for the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

Meanwhile, when Gandhi was asked about the BJP alleging links between the Congress leadership and US billionaire investor George Soros, he said, "They will continue to make allegations, but whatever charges they make, we would want the House to function. Whatever charges they make against me, let them." "Though it is not our responsibility to run the House, we will allow the House to function 100 percent," Gandhi said.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi and Congress MPs were joined by some other INDIA bloc MPs in greeting BJP members with placards and national flag, as they urged them to allow the House to function.

Rahul Gandhi also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and sought to present the flag but Singh moved on after exchanging pleasantries.