Opposition's mikes often silenced in LS, Rahul Gandhi tells British MPs

LONDON: Congress member Rahul Gandhi told British parliamentarians on Monday that microphones in Lok Sabha are often silenced against the Opposition. "Our mikes are not out of order, they are functioning, but you still can't switch them on. That's happened to me a number of times while I was speaking," he said.
During an event organised by Indian-origin Opposition Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma in the House of Commons complex, Gandhi shared experiences from the Bharat Jodo Yatra which he described as a "deeply political exercise in mass mobilisation".
In a lighter vein, he used a faulty microphone in the room to make his point about what he described as a "stifling" Opposition debate in India. "Demonetisation, which was a disastrous financial decision, we were not allowed to discuss. GST we were not allowed to discuss. Chinese troops entering Indian territory we were not allowed to discuss. I remember a Parliament where there were vibrant discussions, heated debates, arguments, and disagreements but we had a conversation. And, that's frankly what we miss in Parliament. We have to use debates to fit in other debates. There is a stifling that is going on," he said.
Gandhi also pointed out that Congress had successfully "governed the country for many, many years" and dismissed what he dubbed as a flawed media narrative against the party's electoral prospects in future.
"This idea that BJP is unbeatable is a narrative that is being created. It was the same narrative in the media in 2004, about India Shining and when the result came it was a shock for BJP. So, I don't buy the narrative in the media. I listen to people on the ground," he said, adding that he is "pretty confident" of bringing the Opposition together on one platform.
When asked about his "dreams" for India, he said that the "future of India is very good as long as we can take care of this turbulent period we are going through where our structures are being attacked".