By Fnf correspondent | PUBLISHED: 01, Jul 2024, 20:52 pm IST | UPDATED: 01, Jul 2024, 20:52 pm IST
Entire treasury benches rose in an uproar on this remark. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also intervened and said "this is an allegation on the Chair".
Birla, however, said that he was keeping the tradition of bowing to the elders. "Prime Minister is the Leader of House. My culture and traditions say, in personal as well as public life, and on this seat, I should bow to those who are elders and those who are equal should be treated equally, that is what I have learnt," the Speaker said in his reply.
"I can say it from my Chair. It is my culture to bow down to elders and even touch their feet if required...," said Birla. Gandhi said he respects what the Speaker said, but added, "no one is bigger than the Speaker in this House and everyone should bow to him. I will bow to you and so would the entire Opposition".
He said the Speaker is the custodian and the "last word" in the Lok Sabha. "As members of the Lok Sabha we are subservient to the Speaker. We will listen to what you say... But the only thing I will request is that it is important that there is fairness in the House," Gandhi added. Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Modi, the Congress leader said the former has a direct connection to God. The prime minister got a direct message from God at 8 pm one day and he announced demonetisation, he alleged.
"He had some fine-tuning with God... The prime minister has said he has a direct connection with God, I did not say that...,"Gandhi said. After Birla interjected and asked him to respect the prime minister, he said, "These are the words of the prime minister, not mine." "He has said he has a direct connection with god... Perhaps at 8 pm, a message came from God... Modi ji, implement demonetisation," he said.
Gandhi said that small and medium businesses were destroyed by the decision, adding the backbone of job creation was destroyed.
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