Highlights of the speech of Shri Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha), felicitated Shri Om Birla on his election as the Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha in Parliament House, New Delhi on June 26, 2024.

Speaker Sir, I would like to congratulate you for your successful election, for the second time that you have been elected. I would like to congratulate you on behalf of the entire Opposition, on behalf of the ‘INDIA’ alliance.

Speaker Sir, this House represents the voice of India’s people and you, Speaker Sir, are the final arbiter of that voice. Of course, the government has political power, but the Opposition also represents the voice of India’s people and this time, the Opposition represents significantly more voice of the Indian people than it did last time.

Speaker Sir, the Opposition would like to assist you in doing your work. We would like the House to function often and well. Speaker Sir, it is very important that co-operation happens on the basis of trust. 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 represent our voice, allow us to speak, allow us to represent the voice of the people of India.

Speaker Sir, 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 in this House. Speaker Sir, 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, the ‘Samvidhan’ of this country and we are confident that by allowing the Opposition to speak, by allowing us to represent the people of India, you will do your duty of defending the Constitution of India.

I would like to once again congratulate you Speaker Sir and also all the members of the House, who have won their election.

Thank you very much!