Rahul denies accusation that Cong MP attacked Health Minister in Lok Sabha

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 7

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi steered clear of the government accusation on Friday that his party MP Manickam Tagore attacked Health Minister Harsh Vardhan by entering the Well, an altercation that led to an early adjournment of the Lok Sabha.

“You can see TV cameras. Manickam Tagore did go to the Well but did not attack the Health Minister. Tagore was attacked,” Gandhi said outside Parliament after both Congress and BJP leaders petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker On Birla in his chamber about the unsavoury developments that followed Harsh Vardhan condemning the anti-PM comments Gandhi made outside the house recently.

“Health Minister had no business raising that matter which I spoke outside the house yesterday but he must have been asked to raise it. He wouldn’t have raised it on his own. He had no business flagging that during Question Hour. When I raised an issue regarding lack of medical college in Wayanad the minister instead of replying deflected the matter,” Gandhi said on Friday after the Lok Sabha was adjourned following acrimonious scenes with the BJP accusing Tagore of attempting an altercation with Vardhan, and seeking action against him.

Gandhi said the government did not like when he spoke in the Lok Sabha and tried to muzzle the Congress voice.

“The PM has a stature but our MPs don’t have that. He speaks in an unparliamentary way,” Gandhi said when asked about the PM’s “tubelight” jibe at him in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.