Congress claims Rahul Gandhi’s mic was muted, Speaker refutes claim: 'I don't switch off mic'

PM Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi with newly elected Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla at Parliament House in New Delhi this week-ANI

The Congress on Friday accused the Centre of silencing opposition leaders by allegedly switching off their microphones in Parliament.

"Why speaker @ombirlakota switched off LOP Sri Rahul Gandhi’s mic when he was raising an important issue related to the future of our students? #NEET," posted the Kerala unit of Congress on X.

The Congress a video of Gandhi on social media, showing him requesting access to a microphone. Gandhi was seeking a debate on the NEET controversy and pressing for a joint message from both the Opposition and the Centre.

Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda said the INDIA bloc sought a discussion on NEET.  “We demand to have a discussion on this (NEET) issue immediately. The mic of Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition, was shut off, which angered the party leaders,”said Hooda.

Speaker Om Birla said  in the Lok Sabha that he does not switch off MPs’ microphones and has no such control. “The discussion should be on the President’s address. Other matters will not be recorded in the House,” Birla said.

The Congress also alleged that the microphone of its president, Mallikarjun Kharge, was switched off in the Rajya Sabha when he raised concerns about students suffering from exam paper leaks.

In 2023, Gandhi had accused the government of deliberately silencing him by similarly switching off his microphone in the Lok Sabha when he was an MP from Kerala’s Wayanad.