Leader of Opposition is not Constitutional but a statutory post: BJP leader

New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) After Rahul Gandhi became Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, BJP slammed Congress leaders for saying that it is a Constitutional post.

Amit Malviya, who heads BJP's IT cell, said that the post of Leader of Opposition (LoP) is not a Constitutional post. "It is a statutory post defined by a law passed by a non-Congress government in 1977 after the Emergency," he pointed out.

He went on to express that Rahul Gandhi, who had failed thrice in Lok Sabha elections, has been tricked and given this post, saying that it is a Constitutional one.

However, as per rules, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has acknowledged Rahul Gandhi as the LoP.

On Friday, Gandhi was not allowed to speak on the NEET issue amid the discussion on the motion of thanks after the President's address. Congress has made it a major issue, in response to which, Malviya made this comments.