Tea & biscuits on the steps of Parliament? 204 veterans, ex officers ask Rahul to say sorry
Led by SP Vaid, former DGP of Jammu and Kashmir, the signatories mentioned the events of March 12 in the Lok Sabha as deeply concerning
A group of eminent citizens who have served the country and the government in various capacities in the past on Tuesday wrote an open letter asking Rahul Gandhi to apologise for what they called his consistent conduct unbecoming of an MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Led by SP Vaid, former DGP of Jammu and Kashmir, the signatories mentioned the events of March 12 in the Lok Sabha as deeply concerning.
"Despite the explicit instruction issued by the Speaker prohibiting demonstrations or protests within Parliament premises, the Opposition, led by Shri Rahul Gandhi, chose to disregard this directive. Such a deliberate defiance of the Chair does not merely violate procedure; it reflects a conscious disregard for parliamentary authority and a willingness to place personal political theatrics above the dignity of a constitutional institution," the signatories said.
They said Rahul Gandhi, along with several Members of Parliament, was seen sitting on the steps of Parliament having tea and biscuits in a manner that was wholly unbecoming of members of the nation’s highest legislative body.
"The steps of Parliament are not a venue for spectacle or political theatre. Such conduct within the precincts of Parliament represents a clear disregard for established norms of behaviour and decorum. It reflects an attitude of arrogance and entitlement, and a troubling lack of respect for an institution that embodies the democratic will of the people of India," they said.
The signatories added that in his efforts to question the Government of the day, Rahul Gandhi's actions were damaging the reputation of India and Indian democracy.
"The fact that such behaviour is being carried out by a person who occupies a position as responsible and important as the Leader of Opposition makes it even more disturbing. As citizens who have served this nation for decades in public life, we are deeply pained to witness repeated attempts by Rahul Gandhi and his associates that risk weakening the effectiveness of this temple of democracy," the signatories said in a two-page letter.
They said it was incumbent upon them to call out conduct that diminishes the dignity of Parliament, an institution that embodies the sovereign will of the people of India. "The events witnessed reflect a troubling sense of hubris and privilege that has no place in a constitutional democracy, least of all in the conduct of the Leader of the Opposition.
Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the nation for this behaviour and introspect on the attitude that produced it, so that the solemnity, authority, and institutional sanctity of Parliament remain fully preserved," they said.
The letter was signed by several Armed Forces veterans including former Chief of Air Staff RKS Bhadauria, retired bureaucrats including former Kerala Chief Secretary Anand Bose, former NIA Director YS Modi, many former Union Secretaries and ambassadors including Ashok Sajjanhar and Deepak Vohra, ex-cops including former DGP Tripura BL Vohra, among 204 signatories in all.
