Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had a verbal exchange inside the House on Monday when the congress leader questioned him as to why he bowed down to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he met him.
"You are the final arbitrator of the Lok Sabha, you are the final word here. What you say fundamentally defines Indian democracy. There are two people sitting in that Chair -- the Speaker of Lok Sabha and Mr Om Birla...," said Gandhi.
"I noticed something. When I shook your hand, you stood straight and shook my hand. When Modi ji shook your hand, you bowed down and shook his hand," he added.
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.
"The Prime Minister is the Leader of the 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.
However, the Congress leader did not stop there and further said "I duly, respectfully accept your views sir, but I want to tell you that there is no one bigger than the Speaker in the House".
"The Speaker is above all in the House and we should all bow down before him/her", he added.
Rahul Gandhi said that he, along with the entire Opposition, bowed down to the Speaker.
"You are the Speaker and you should not bow down before anyone", Rahul Gandhi asserted.
Dramatic scenes played out in Lok Sabha today during Gandhi's address. At one point, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP in accusing the Leader of the Opposition of insulting Hindus.
Rahul Gandhi, however, retorted that he was speaking about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or Modi are not the entire Hindu society, he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
