Govt must not learn wrong lessons from Pak: Rahul

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 1

Launching a scathing attack on the government, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the government “not to learn the wrong lessons” from Pakistan and urged it should listen to the voices of those who were “disturbed” by recent unpleasant happenings.

“People like Narayana Murthy, Raghuram Rajan and PM Bhargava are among the many protesting... They are disturbed like millions of other people. Respect them and try to understand what is disturbing them. Go and listen to them,” Gandhi said while participating in the debate over “intolerance” in Lok Sabha.

As his speech was repeatedly interrupted by members from the treasury benches, he asked members to have patience to listen to others. He denounced the statement made by Union Minister VK Singh, who alleged to have likened two Dalit children in Haryana, who were burnt, to dogs. This was strongly contested by the BJP members.

“Our Prime Minister allowed this man to continue as Minister. Ambedkar spent his entire life ....And wrote the Constitution so that the two children are not burnt. The Prime Minister is unable to see this contradiction,” Gandhi said amid cries of “shame-shame” from the Opposition benches.

“I request the government to not learn the wrong lessons from Pakistan. Be tolerant. Listen to your people, embrace your own people. Mahatma Gandhi gave voice to the people. Pakistan became a failure because their leaders crushed voices of their people...Were intolerant. Let’s not learn the wrong lessons,” he said.