New Delhi: BJP today claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has flouted the rules of Parliament by delivering his speech from a written text.

Referring to the speech delivered by Gandhi while participating in the discussion on the General Budget in Lok Sabha, party spokesperson Vijay Kumar Malhotra said, "the basic rules of the House have been flouted. Only the maiden speeches of a member or minister is allowed to be made from a written text".

"It seems the rules have been given the go by for both Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said. Calling the young Amethi MP and Congress general secretary as the "Prime Minister in waiting," Malhotra said, "we expect that at least the Prime Minister in waiting should fit into the rules of the House".

To a query, he said BJP's Prime Minister in waiting was "still L K Advani" and Gandhi was only being "projected from the Congress side." Malhotra also attacked Gandhi for failing to mention the issue of price rise in his speech. He also said the situation of price rise in the country was approaching an alarming situation. "The situation is alarming. The prices of essential commodities have risen manifold even after the budget," he said.

Source : PTI