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Journalism of Courage
The Opposition was armed with accusations of the Narendra Modi government misusing central investigative agencies against its rivals across the country. But the ruling BJP on Monday appeared to have taken the initiative through a pre-emptive offensive in Parliament, with senior ministers seeking an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “attempts to discredit Indian democracy” on foreign soil and party MPs disrupting the proceedings by shouting slogans against Gandhi.
In the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the treasury benches’ offensive against Gandhi, who criticised the government for putting “democracy under attack” during his recent UK tour. Gandhi said the “collapse of Indian democracy” would “play out on a global scale” and that the “reliance on our institutions is reducing and that to me is very, very dangerous”. At an event in the House of Commons of the British Parliament, Gandhi came across a faulty microphone and quipped, “Our mikes are not out of order, they are functioning, but you still can’t switch them on. That’s happened to me a number of times while I am speaking.”
Hitting out at the Congress MP, Rajnath Singh said, “Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of the Lok Sabha, went 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. This is condemnable. The House should condemn and he should apologise to the Lok Sabha.” The Defence Minister spoke amid sloganeering from the Opposition as well as ruling party members on different issues.
The attack by the ruling party came minutes after 16 Opposition parties led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge — the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha — met to discuss strategies to take on the government on various issues, including the arrests and questioning of various Opposition leaders across the country. The parties included Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Janata Dal (United), Aam Aadmi Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Kerala Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India, Indian Union Muslim League, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and National Conference, besides Congress.
The first phase of the Budget session also witnessed chaotic scenes in the House with the Opposition and ruling party indulging in an intense war of words over the issues raised in the Hindenburg report about industrialist Gautam Adani and his companies. Sources said the pandemonium was expected to continue on Tuesday also in the Lok Sabha.
How things unfolded
On Monday, the BJP was prepared to counter the Opposition’s attempts to disrupt proceedings. While Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi, and Anurag Thakur made a statement outside Parliament building condemning Gandhi’s remarks in London, a few BJP MPs protested outside Gate No 4 seeking an apology from the Congress leader.
BJP insiders said initially there were no plans for Rajnath Singh to address the House. But, the party decided to deploy the Defence Minister to give heft to its counter-attack against Gandhi. Inside the Lok Sabha, immediately after Speaker Om Birla made obituary references, Rajnath Singh stood up and led the charge against the Congress leader. But, by then Opposition MPs, barring those from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), came to the Well of the House shouting slogans against the government. This included the MPs from the Congress, the DMK, the NCP, the Left, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). BJP MPs also stood up and raised the slogan “Rahul Gandhi desh ko badnam karna bandh karo (Rahul Gandhi, stop defaming the nation)”.
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.
Joshi condemned Gandhi’s remarks “seeking the intervention of foreign powers like the US and Europe”. He added, “If he has some shame, he should come to this House and tender an apology. This is our demand.”
Om Birla appealed to both sides to remain seated so that the Question Hour could be taken up. He said democracy in India was strong and getting stronger. “Let the House function properly. Everyone will get an opportunity. Slogan-shouting is not good. People of this country have great faith in our democracy. Even foreign MPs and chairs, who often visit us, accept this,” he said.
With both sides refusing to relent, Birla adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. After the House reconvened at 2 PM, BJP MPs and those from the treasury benches raised slogans and resumed seeking an apology from Gandhi. The Opposition Benches responded by raising the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the issues raised in the Hindenburg report.
Papers and standing committee reports were tabled amid loud sloganeering from both sides and after that several MPs rushed to the Well of the House. The House was finally adjourned till Tuesday.
