Politics: Jairam Ramesh Slams Govt for Blocking Leader of Opposition in Parliament

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh has accused the BJP-led government of repeatedly denying the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) the opportunity to speak in Parliament. He said that for four consecutive days, the LoP has been stopped from raising key national issues, including foreign policy, defence, and internal security, despite it being a long-standing parliamentary tradition for the LoP to speak during the Motion of Thanks. Ramesh also strongly objected to BJP president JP Nadda’s remark, where he allegedly used the term “immature child” (abodh balak), saying such language is inappropriate and undermines parliamentary dignity. Drawing a historical parallel, Jairam Ramesh reminded the BJP of June 10, 2004, when then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was reportedly not allowed to respond in the House, stating that the ruling party must now face its own past actions. He further criticized the passage of the Motion of Thanks amid chaos and sloganeering, arguing that democratic norms were compromised and the Opposition’s constitutional rights ignored.