BJP turns on heat against Rahul Gandhi as Parliament impasse continues

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17

The stalemate between the ruling and Opposition benches in Parliament continued for the fifth consecutive day on Friday leading to a washout of the first week of the second leg of the Budget session.

Part of anti-India toolkit

Rejected repeatedly by people, Rahul Gandhi has become a permanent part of anti-India toolkit. JP Nadda, BJP Chief

With the Congress today countering the ruling BJP with a privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the saffron party hitting back with a fresh spell of attacks on Rahul Gandhi over his “democracy-under-threat” remarks in London, the political circles are abuzz with speculations that rest of the three weeks of the session might also meet the same fate.

In both Houses, BJP MPs stuck to the demand for a public apology from Rahul over his remarks made in London about Indian democracy and the Congress continued with its call for a JPC probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue.

Congress MP KC Venugopal today wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar proposing privilege proceedings against Prime Minister Modi for making “derogatory, distasteful and defamatory” remarks against party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul.

Venugopal, in his notice to the Chairman under Rule 188, cited the PM’s February 9 speech during the reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

In response to the Opposition Congress accusing him of not mentioning Nehru in his speeches, Modi had said that none of Nehru’s descendants used the Nehru surname.

“The above-mentioned remarks prima facie made in a mocking manner are not only disgraceful but also insulting and defamatory vis-a-vis the members of Nehru family, particularly Sonia Gandhi and Rahul who are members of the Lok Sabha,” Venugopal said in his privilege notice.

The notice is seen as an attempt to counter the BJP’s aggressive stance against Rahul. Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha and Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, “It is a gimmick, a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from the anger building up nationwide against Rahul for his insult to India, the Indian democracy and Indian institutions on foreign soil.”

Meanwhile, BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey reiterated his demand, seeking the constitution of a special parliamentary committee to inquire into Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “contemptuous” remarks and asked if he should be expelled from the House to send out the message that “no one can take the respect of high institutions for a ride”. In a fresh letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Dubey said he was giving the notice under Rule 223 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha on the “contemptuous and unbecoming behaviour” of the MP over his remarks at Cambridge University.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said: “Rahul Gandhi wants to portray that he is above Parliament and nation. Is one family greater than the nation? He should tender an unconditional apology. He forgets that the House runs on procedure, but a person whose average attendance in Parliament is less than the average attendance of all members, he obviously appears to be oblivious to rules and procedures of the House.”

LS TV goes mute for 8 minutes, oppn cries foul

Just before the adjournment of the Lok Sabha on Friday, the Lok Sabha TV went mute for eight minutes. Opposition MPs termed it a “deliberate attempt by the government to suppress their voice”. Sources in LS Secretariat said the channel went mute due to technical glitches.

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