Attorney General says no to LoP for Congress, onus lies on Speaker to decide status

New Delhi: The door appears to have been shut on the Congress’ demand for Leader of the Opposition status in the Lok Sabha. Attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi, whose opinion had been sought by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, has said that neither does the Congress have the requisite strength to claim that status, nor is there any precedent to back it in Parliamentary history.

Sources said the Attorney General pointed out that any party must have a strength of at least 10 per cent to be entitled to the Leader of Opposition post.