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Journalism of Courage
Even as the Opposition was armed with allegations of misusing central investigative agencies against its leaders, the ruling BJP on Monday disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha seeking an apology from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his “remarks against Indian democracy outside the country”. The second leg of the Parliament’s Budget session kicked off on Monday but soon after, Speaker Om Birla later adjourned the House till 2 pm.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the treasury benches’ offensive against Gandhi, who has criticised the government for putting “democracy under attack”, and said: “He has sought the intervention of foreign powers to come and save Indian democracy. This is condemnable. The House should condemn and he should apologise to the Lok Sabha.” Singh was speaking amid sloganeering from the Opposition as well as the ruling party members on separate issues.
Barring the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Opposition protested with its members coming to the well of the House shouting slogans against the government. This included members of the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Left and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Even before the Opposition started its protests over the multiple arrests and questioning of its leaders by central investigative agencies, BJP MPs raised the slogan ‘Rahul Gandhi desh ko badnam karna bandh karo (Rahul Gandhi, stop defaming the nation)’. Singh got up and said Gandhi had raised questions on Indian democracy on foreign soil.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “India is the mother of democracy… Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of this House, cast aspersions on the Chair saying his mic was turned off. He was allowed to make his entire speech, but still he blamed the Chair. When the fundamental rights of citizens were suspended during the Emergency where was democracy? When an ordinance promulgated by a government in which Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister and leaders like Sharad Pawar were ministers was torn publicly, calling it ‘nonsense’, making the PM helpless, where was democracy?” he asked.
Speaker Om Birla appealed to both sides to remain seated so that the Question Hour could be taken up. With both sides refusing to relent, Birla adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
Before the House met, Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Anurag Thakur, along with Joshi, issued a statement seeking an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in London.
