BJP, opposition battle in Parliament over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘democracy under attack’ remark | India News

NEW DELHI: Parliament on the first day of the post-recess Budget session on Monday was adjourned without transacting any business as BJP and opposition MPs in both Houses were embroiled over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s Indian “democracy is under attack” remarks made in the UK. It led to a major uproar as members from the treasury benches demanded an apology from Rahul while opposition members sought a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue.
As soon as the proceedings of the Houses began, top BJP leaders raised the issue of Rahul’s remarks. While defence minister and deputy leader of the House, Rajnath Singh, took it up in the Lok Sabha, leader of the House, Piyush Goyal, raised it in the Rajya Sabha amidst loud protests from opposition benches. This resulted in sloganeering from both sides, leading to adjournment during the first half and finally for the day when similar scenes continued in the second half too.
Rahul had recently alleged during his UK visit that the structures of Indian democracy are under “brutal attack” and that there is a “full-scale assault” on the institutions of the country.

Charging the Congress leader for trying to defame India by making such remarks on foreign soil, Singh said, “Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of the Lok Sabha, had gone to London and tried to ‘discredit’ India and said the democratic system in India is completely crumbling. He also said that foreign powers should save India’s democracy. He tried to ‘deeply hurt’ India’s honour and prestige.”
The defence minister then 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 too and rushed to the well of the House.
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi then sought to remind the opposition of ‘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?

Big government vs Opposition war over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘democracy has died’ speech in London

“When an ordinance, which was duly approved by the Union cabinet chaired by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and in attendance of cabinet ministers like Sharad Pawar and Pranab Mukherjee, was torn apart and described as nonsense, where was democracy at that time… When the then PM looked ‘helpless’, where was democracy then?” It was a reference to the incident related to Rahul during UPA.
Joshi said he condemns Rahul for “seeking the intervention of foreign powers like the US and Europe”. “If he has some shame, he should come to this House and tender an apology. This is our demand,” he said amidst continued sloganeering from both sides.
As uproar continued, the House was first adjourned till 2 pm and then for the day when a similar scene persisted during the second half. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury later wrote to Birla demanding that remarks made by Rajnath Singh and Prahlad Joshi be expunged from the records.

Rahul Gandhi must apologise for defaming India in London: Rajnath Singh

Rajya Sabha witnessed a similar scene before being adjourned for the day. Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Piyush Goyal, demanded that Rahul come to the House to apologise for his “shameful” and “rubbish” statements against Indian democracy.
Countering this, Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge questioned how a leader who is not a Rajya Sabha MP can be called to the House, even as he referred to statements made by PM Narendra Modi abroad.
Kharge’s response was interrupted by slogan-shouting from the treasury benches, with chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar soon adjourning the house till 2 pm. As the Upper House resumed for the afternoon session, Goyal reminded the members of the “serious issue” raised by him regarding the utterances of a “senior Congress leader” who had “alleged on foreign land” that democracy in India is under threat.
Careful not to take any names, Goyal sought to express outrage at the leader having “suggested to European nations and the US to intervene in India’s democratic affairs”. “Such a person deserves to be condemned by this House,” he stated.

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 PM due to uproar over Rahul Gandhi’s remark on democracy