Parliament adjourned again as BJP demands apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in London
The Congress MP had said that India was facing an attack on the basic structure of its democracy and that there is a ‘full-scale assault’ on the institutions.
Parliament was adjourned for the second consecutive day on Tuesday after Bharatiya Janata Party members continued to demand an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his speeches in the United Kingdom.
Last week, Gandhi in London had claimed that India was facing an attack on the basic structure of its democracy and that there is a “full-scale assault” on the institutions of the country. He had alleged that microphones of Opposition leaders were muted in Parliament and had also described the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a “fundamentalist” and “fascist” organisation.
On Tuesday, both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were adjourned after uproarious scenes in both Houses. BJP leaders repeatedly kept shouting “Rahul Gandhi maafi mango [Rahul Gandhi apologise]”.
The Congress, however, accused the BJP members of disrupting the proceedings to avoid Opposition’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation into allegations of unfair business practices by the Adani Group.
The Congress also waved placards with quotes from speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visits abroad.
Modi Govt's continued refusal to even allow the combined Opposition to raise its legitimate demand for a JPC into the PM-linked Adani MagaMegaScam has resulted in an impasse in Parliament. This is the ONLY issue. Anything else is a deliberate diversion by the PM & his colleagues.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 14, 2023
Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar said a meeting of floor leaders has been called to discuss the issue. “I am sure you will get my ruling at the earliest, maybe during the course of the day or tomorrow,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Congress gave a notice for raising a breach of privilege against Union Minister and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal after he had criticised the MP from Wayanad.
The notice given cited Rule 238 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States, which says that “no allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature shall be made by a member against any other member or a member of the House”, reported The Indian Express.
“We cannot sit quiet and watch everything,” Goyal had said on Monday. “A member of the House goes to foreign country and talks against the democracy of India. 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.”