During the chaos in parliament, which has resulted in the adjournment of both houses for the second day in a row, sources in the BJP said today that they will not allow Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to speak in the house unless he apologizes for his remarks on Indian democracy in London.
Both houses of parliament were rescheduled again today amid loud sloganeering from the BJP, which is demanding that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi apologize for remarks he made at Cambridge University, and opposition parties demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation into the Adani-Hindenberg row.
While chaos ensued inside the parliament, the audio of the proceedings was muted. The Congress Party attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, repeating Rahul Gandhi’s charge that opposition leaders’ microphones were muted in parliament.
“Previously, the microphone was turned off; today, even the House proceedings were muted. For PM Modi’s friend, the house is silent “The grand-old party sent out a tweet in Hindi.
Rahul Gandhi appeared in the Lok Sabha for the second time today since the controversy over his comments erupted, but the house was postponed until next week before any business could be conducted. Mr Gandhi has stated that he wishes to respond to allegations against him inside the House, but the BJP insists that he first apologize.
BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Mr Gandhi’s remark was “egregious and gravely offensive,” and that he should apologize outside before seeking recourse in parliament.
Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said, in response to Rahul Gandhi’s “unfortunately, I am a Member Of Parliament” gaffe yesterday, that he is a truly unfortunate MP because he is defaming the very parliament of which he is a member. He also demanded that he apologize unconditionally.
Several BJP ministers have attacked Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of spreading lies and undermining India’s image abroad. While Law Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed that the Congress leader was speaking in the language of “anti-India forces,” BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has called for the formation of a special committee to investigate Mr Gandhi’s statements, which he believes will help end Mr Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership.
Rahul Gandhi has become a permanent part of the “anti-nationalist toolkit,” according to BJP National President JP Nadda.
Rahul Gandhi claimed during a UK event that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and that there is a “full-scale assault” on the country’s institutions.
