Rahul to Om Birla: Be a Speaker for all

New Delhi, NT Bureau: Congratulating Om Birla for being elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha for a second term, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition MPs on Wednesday hoped they would be allowed to raise the "voice of people" in the House and suspension of MPs will not be done again.

Gandhi also countered the gover nment over claims of high productivity of the Lok Sabha and said the question is not how efficiently the House is run, but how much of India's voice is being allowed to be heard.

While the opposition pushed a contest for Speaker by pitching K Suresh against Birla, who was announced elected by a voice vote, Gandhi went and congratulated Birla on the floor of the House. In a democratic spirit s, Gandhi also escorted Birla, soon after he was re-elected as the new Speaker.