Congress leader Jairam Ramesh condemns PM Modi’s remarks on former Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari

New Delhi, July 6

In a scathing critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks in Parliament, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has expressed strong disapproval of the Prime Minister’s comments about former Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.

Ramesh highlighted the seriousness of the situation, emphasising that Modi’s statement, made on July 2 in the Lok Sabha, was not only “awful and unacceptable” but also deserving of immediate expunction from the parliamentary record.

According to Ramesh, the Prime Minister accused Ansari of ‘leaning’ towards the Opposition, a charge that Ramesh finds deeply troubling. This isn’t the first time Modi has targeted Ansari. Ramesh recalled a similar incident occurred seven years ago during Ansari’s farewell speech, where Modi alluded to Ansari’s diplomatic assignments in Islamic countries, overlooking the strategic importance of these nations to India. He also noted Ansari’s distinguished career, which included serving as High Commissioner to Australia and as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

“No PM has ever attacked a former Speaker or Chairman of the Rajya Sabha in the manner that Mr. Modi has. He has broken all Parliamentary norms in doing so–not that he has respected them at all”, Ramesh condemned Modi’s repeated attacks on Ansari

He accused Modi of violating parliamentary norms and further diminishing the dignity of his office, especially following what Ramesh described as a “despicable election campaign.”

The Congress leader’s statement underscores the escalating tensions and the polarising political discourse in India, calling into question the respect for parliamentary traditions and the decorum of political leaders.