The BJP was relatively silent during his Bharat Jodo Yatra but it has now once again turned its focus on Rahul Gandhi, launching sharp attacks on the Congress leader during the second phase of the Budget Session of Parliament.
BJP MPs have disrupted the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament since Monday, demanding an apology from Gandhi for his recent remarks on democracy being under threat in India. The ruling party is expected to keep up its offensive against the Congress leader in Parliament for the rest of the week, according to sources. On Wednesday too, proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were disrupted. Both Houses will now reconvene at 11 am on Thursday.
Sources in the BJP said although the party was planning to take on Gandhi for his remarks on foreign soil — he made the comments during his UK tour — Modi’s comments at a public event in Dharwad, Karnataka, last week were a cue to adopt an aggressive approach while responding to the Congress leader. At the Dharwad event, Modi said that “some people are putting Indian democracy on trial and insulting the citizens of the country”.
“That changed our strategy. We decided to escalate the attack on him (Gandhi),” said a BJP insider.
The protests against Gandhi in Parliament are an attempt to get back at the Congress that had cornered the treasury benches over the Hindenburg report and industrialist Gautam Adani’s alleged links to the ruling party, stalling legislative business in the first half of the Budget Session. The Finance Bill has to be passed during this Session.
On Tuesday, the Opposition wanted to keep the focus on its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Adani issue. Gandhi in a video message — he is travelling — tried to pin down the government by levelling several allegations regarding the government’s foreign policy that he claimed was geared up to benefit the Adani Group. Leaders from the Congress and other Opposition parties refrained from coming to the Well of the Lok Sabha but continued their protests from their seats. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs who did not join the protests on the floor of the House on Monday were seen standing with other Opposition members. To counter the BJP, Congress MPs were seen holding posters carrying PM Modi’s alleged remarks about the country during his 2015 visit to Seoul.
But the BJP appeared determined to heavily come down on Gandhi. In the Lok Sabha, party MPs stood up immediately after the Session began, shouting slogans against him. In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said, “We cannot sit quietly and watch everything. A member of the House goes to a foreign country and talks against Indian democracy. I am shocked that some parties are also backing him. I appeal to all parties to criticise how a senior MP tried to defame Parliament on foreign land.”
The BJP leadership maintains that Gandhi’s remarks damaged India’s image at a time “when world leaders are visiting India for G-20 meetings”. They say that “nothing but an aggressive attack on him could have been a reply”. But a section of BJP leaders pointed out that the offensive against Gandhi could send out the signal that the BJP sees him as the preeminent Opposition leader.
Taking a swipe at Gandhi for his persistent attacks on Modi, a section of the BJP claimed that it might end up helping the party. Leaders such as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have said that “Rahul Gandhi is actually a blessing for the BJP,” referring to the exit of senior leaders from the Congress because of Gandhi’s style of functioning.
“In this case, the BJP has no other option. He has damaged the image of India at a time when the world is praising India and Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. If we are not aggressive, it will be an acceptance of what he said there (in the UK). Tomorrow, we will be asked why we did not protest,” said senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Ganesh Singh.
Singh added, “It is true, our Budget formalities have yet to be completed and Parliament has to function. But House se bada hain desh (the country is bigger than the House)”.
Sources said the BJP was “not going to scale down” its offensive against Rahul inside and outside Parliament House. “The BJP picks up issues that people on the ground are concerned about,” said Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari. “Our protests inside the House against what Gandhi said in London have a resonance on the ground.”
Every day, before Parliament convenes, senior ministers such as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi meet Modi to decide the day’s strategy. On Monday, immediately after the meeting, Piyush Goyal, Joshi and Anurag Thakur set the tone by demanding an apology from Gandhi. It was also decided that while Goyal would lead the offensive in the Rajya Sabha, Singh would lead the charge in the Lok Sabha.
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