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Why Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to play Rafale ‘bedroom’ tape in Lok Sabha

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Speaker’s decision to reject Rahul Gandhi’s request to play audio clip is backed by precedent and rules governing conduct of business of the House.

New Delhi: In his speech during the discussion on the Rafale deal in Lok Sabha Wednesday afternoon, Congress president Rahul Gandhi wanted to play an audio clip in which Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane purportedly told an unknown person that former defence minister and current Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had told the state Cabinet that “each and every document pertaining to Rafale is in my bedroom”.

However, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected his request, after repeatedly asking Gandhi if he was “authenticating the recording”.

The Speaker’s decision is backed by precedent and rules governing conduct of business of the House.


Also read: JPC for Rafale? Panel probes in past have done little to fix accountability


The rules

Under parliamentary procedure, MPs are barred from bringing in or playing “cassette or tape recorder in the House”. Making “allegations of a defamatory or incriminatory nature against any person unless the member has given adequate advance notice to the Speaker” is also disallowed.

As per the General Rules of Procedure of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha, the Speaker is empowered to rule on requests from MPs concerning proceedings of the House, including debates. The Speaker has the authority to punish MPs who breach these rules. This involves appropriate action, which may include suspension from the House, say, for the entire session.

Other actions barred in the House when it is in session include not to “obstruct proceedings, hiss or interrupt” and to “avoid making running commentaries when another member is speaking”; “not applaud when a stranger enters any of the galleries or the special box”; “not shout slogans in the House”; “not wear to display badges of any kind in the House except the National Flag” and “not tear off documents in the House in protest”.

Clause 352 of the Rules bars an MP from referring to “any matter of fact on which a judicial decision is pending”. The MP also cannot level allegations of a personal nature or impute any motive to other MPs.

Clause 353 says “no allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature shall be made by a member against any person unless the member has given adequate advance notice to the Speaker and also to the minister” concerned.

Apart from the General Rules of Procedure, the actions of the Speaker are also guided by the directions issued as per Rule 382 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

Under Clause 118-A, whenever an MP, like Gandhi today, wants to introduce a document or paper — the Congress chief wanted to read out from the transcripts of the recorded conversation — the Speaker has to ask the MP to verify that the document is either an original and/or the contents “are correct and based on authentic information”.

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