NEW DELHI: Accusing Rahul Gandhi of trying to defame India through his “Indian democracy is under attack” remark made in the UK, defence minister Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Monday, “Rahul Gandhi had gone to London and tried to discredit India. . . He said foreign powers should save India’s democracy. He tried to deeply hurt India’s honour and prestige. ”
Singh requested Speaker Om Birla that the House should condemn Rahul’s remarks and the Congress leader should be directed to tender an apology. As other BJP members stood up demanding Rahul’s apology, Congress protested strongly and rushed to the well of the House.
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi then sought to remind the opposition of the Emergency during the Congress rule and said, “When fundamental rights were trampled during the Emergency, who was in power? What had happened to democracy then?
(Later) when an ordinance, which was duly approved by the Union cabinet chaired by the then PM Manmohan Singh, was torn apart and described as nonsense, where was democracy at that time. . . ” It was a reference to the incident related to Rahul during UPA.
He said he condemned Rahul for “seeking the intervention of foreign powers like US and Europe”. “If he has some shame, he should come to this House and tender an apology,” he said amidst continued sloganeering from both sides.
As uproar continued, the House was first adjourned till 2pm and then for the day when a similar scene persisted during the second half. Congress leader in the LS, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, later wrote to Birla demanding that remarks made by Rajnath Singh and Prahlad Joshi be expunged from the records. The RS witnessed a similar scene before being adjourned for the day. Leader of the House in RS, Piyush Goyal, demanded that Rahul come to the House to apologise for his “shameful” statements against Indian democracy.
Countering this, Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge questioned how a leader who isn’t a RS MP can be called to the House. His response was interrupted by sloganeering from the treasury benches, with chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar soon adjourning the house till 2pm. Asthe RS resumed for the afternoon session, Goyal reminded the members of the utterances of a “senior Congress leader” that democracy in India is under threat. “Such a person deserves to be condemned by this House. ”
Singh requested Speaker Om Birla that the House should condemn Rahul’s remarks and the Congress leader should be directed to tender an apology. As other BJP members stood up demanding Rahul’s apology, Congress protested strongly and rushed to the well of the House.
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi then sought to remind the opposition of the Emergency during the Congress rule and said, “When fundamental rights were trampled during the Emergency, who was in power? What had happened to democracy then?
(Later) when an ordinance, which was duly approved by the Union cabinet chaired by the then PM Manmohan Singh, was torn apart and described as nonsense, where was democracy at that time. . . ” It was a reference to the incident related to Rahul during UPA.
He said he condemned Rahul for “seeking the intervention of foreign powers like US and Europe”. “If he has some shame, he should come to this House and tender an apology,” he said amidst continued sloganeering from both sides.
As uproar continued, the House was first adjourned till 2pm and then for the day when a similar scene persisted during the second half. Congress leader in the LS, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, later wrote to Birla demanding that remarks made by Rajnath Singh and Prahlad Joshi be expunged from the records. The RS witnessed a similar scene before being adjourned for the day. Leader of the House in RS, Piyush Goyal, demanded that Rahul come to the House to apologise for his “shameful” statements against Indian democracy.
Countering this, Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge questioned how a leader who isn’t a RS MP can be called to the House. His response was interrupted by sloganeering from the treasury benches, with chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar soon adjourning the house till 2pm. Asthe RS resumed for the afternoon session, Goyal reminded the members of the utterances of a “senior Congress leader” that democracy in India is under threat. “Such a person deserves to be condemned by this House. ”
