LoP must be allowed to speak, objections created bigger issue: Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi, February 5 (IANS): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, should be allowed to speak in the Parliament, asserting that objections raised to his remarks during the President’s Address had created a larger parliamentary issue.

Reacting to the disruption, Tharoor said the Leader of the Opposition was merely quoting material that was already in the public domain.

"The LoP should be allowed to speak. He was quoting a matter that was already published in a magazine. It is no longer an unpublished item. All he wanted was to make his point and then move on to other issues in the President’s Address. By raising such a big objection and not allowing him to speak, a much larger problem has been created," he said.

The Congress leader also shared details about a recent injury, saying he had suffered a hairline fracture after falling outside Parliament premises on Wednesday.

"Yesterday, when I came out of Parliament, I fell down. Unfortunately, I’ve got a hairline fracture," he said.

Despite the injury, Tharoor said he would continue attending Parliament and official duties.

"I will come every day. I will attend committee meetings next week as well, though unfortunately I will have to do so in a wheelchair," he added.

Earlier, Tharoor also apologised for his absence from internal party discussions, explaining that he had to undergo some medical tests.

"Please forgive me, I wasn’t here as I was at the clinic getting an X-ray done and had to go to the hospital. Because of this, I couldn’t participate in the discussions during our party meeting," he said.

The remarks come amid continued opposition protests in Parliament over issues related to the President’s Address, with the Congress alleging that the government is curtailing the right of opposition leaders to speak in the House.