BJP questions Rahul’s absence from defence panel meetings

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 6

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched a fresh attack on Rahul Gandhi for not attending even a single meeting of Parliament’s standing committee on defence and accused him of trying to demoralise the nation. BJP president JP Nadda said, “Rahul skips meetings of all important parliamentary standing committee on defence, but continues to demoralise the nation and question the valour of armed forces.”

It’s distraction: Congress

Terming the BJP’s attack as a “cheap distraction”, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “Instead of answering Rahul’s questions on Covid, foreign policy, economy and the LAC standoff, the BJP is attacking the questioner.”

Nadda’s tweets came following reports that Rahul has not attended the committee’s meetings so far.

“Rahul does everything that a responsible Opposition leader should not do,” the BJP president said.

He added, “Rahul belongs to that glorious dynastic tradition where as far as defence is concerned, committees don’t matter, only commissions do. The Congress has many deserving members who understand parliamentary matters, but one dynasty will never let such leaders grow. Really sad.”

Stepping up the attack on the Gandhi-scion, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said Gandhi chose not to attend 11 meetings of the standing committee on defence held so far.

“The dynastic family is only interested in defence matters when commissions are involved,” Rao alleged, demanding an explanation from Rahul as to why he chose to be absent from all meetings of the standing committee on defence.

The BJP spokesperson added that Rahul Gandhi also chose to not attend a field visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, which proved to be a very important visit for the committee. “He must apologise to the armed forces,” Rao said. Gandhi has been leading his party’s sharp criticism of the Central Government over a host of issues, including the continuing standoff between Indian and Chinese armies. In turn, the BJP has accused him of lowering the morale of armed forces.

(With inputs from PTI)