New Delhi: The BJP condemned the ruckus created by the Opposition in Parliament on Monday and accused the Congress of resorting to “low-level politics” in its bid to justify party leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against the OBC community.
Addressing a press conference here, Union minister Piyush Goyal also questioned the Congress MPs’ behaviour as they turned up in Parliament wearing black clothes and created a ruckus in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
“Look at the behaviour. For the first time in several years, they (Congress MPs) tore papers and threw those at the chair. The speaker repeatedly says he wants to run the House and that he would give everybody a chance (to speak),” Goyal said.
He said the Congress and other opposition parties are indulging in indecent behaviour in Parliament, “leaving no other option for the chair but to adjourn the proceedings”.
“The BJP vehemently condemns the efforts being made by their (Congress’s) leaders to insult the speaker and the chairman of the two houses again and again,” Goyal said, asking, “For how long will the Congress do this low-level politics?” After the Lok Sabha met for the day, Opposition members trooped to the Well wearing black clothes and two Congress MPs — TN Pratapan and Hibi Eden — hurled papers towards the chair, leading to an adjournment of the proceedings till 4 pm as the ruckus persisted over Gandhi’s disqualification from the House and a controversy surrounding industrialist Gautam Adani’s business group.
The Rajya Sabha proceedings were also adjourned in the pre-lunch session as the Opposition MPs created a ruckus over the Adani issue.
Dressed in black, the MPs of the Congress and other parties started shouting slogans even before Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar took his seat. Sensing the mood, Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
Goyal asked the Congress MPs whether they came to attend the Parliament session dressed in black and staged protests to insult the “temple of democracy” and the country’s law and order to justify Gandhi’s remarks against the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
“Was it a protest against the court that convicted Rahul Gandhi or against the Supreme Court which ruled that anyone sentenced to two years (in jail) becomes disqualified (from Parliament or a state Assembly) automatically? “Or, was it a protest against their own leader, Rahul Gandhi, who had in 2013, by tearing the ordinance in front of the media, laid the foundation for his disqualification today?” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader asked.
He alleged that the Congress has resorted to such politics as it is “frustrated” with its electoral performances.
Goyal also took a swipe at the opposition party over its members turning up in Parliament wearing black clothes, saying, “They are so frustrated and demoralised today that they want to resort to black magic because all other efforts have failed.
“At this juncture, only black magic is left before them. But they do not understand that they have completely lost the faith of people and will not regain it no matter what they do.” Gandhi (52) was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after he was convicted by a court in Gujarat’s Surat in a 2019 defamation case.
The disqualification will bar Gandhi, a four-time MP, from contesting elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction.
PTI