Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha see uproar over Rahul Gandhi's remarks

Rahul Gandhi's remarks in London about the state of democracy in India rocked Parliament on Monday with the government demanding an apology from the Congress leader and the Opposition countering it with the certain statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi abroad.

No official business could be conducted in both the Houses on the first day of Budget Session's second leg, as it witnessed intense sloganeering from both sides, amid indication that Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are likely to face further disruption over this and other issues like the Adani affair in the coming days too.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the BJP charge in Lok Sabha while Leader of House Piyush Goyal sought to put the Congress in a spot in Rajya Sabha, leading to a vociferous protest from the Opposition benches that was equally countered by NDA MPs who shouted for Rahul's apology.

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As soon as obituary references were made, Singh stood up in Lok Sabha, accusing Rahul of "defaming and discrediting" the country by claiming that democracy was crumbling.

Rahul also wanted "foreign powers should save India's democracy. He tried to deeply hurt India's honour and prestige", Singh said, appealing to Speaker Om Birla to let the House condemn the remarks.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi raked up the 'Emergency' during Indira Gandhi's regime and asked where was democracy when fundamental rights were "trampled" and where was democracy when an approved by the Union Cabinet was torn. Rahul did not tear up the ordinance to save convicted politicians from disqualification but called it a "complete nonsense" and that it "should be torn up and thrown away".

As the commotion continued, Birla adjourned the House for 2 pm and when it reconvened, the scene was similar, prompting the Chair to adjourn the House for the day.

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In Rajya Sabha, Goyal too raised similar points and said an Opposition leader talked "rubbish" about Indian democracy in a "shameful manner" in a foreign country. "He makes allegations against the Indian press, Indian judiciary, Indian media, election commission and the Indian Army," Goyal said, demanding an apology.

Goyal also alleged that Rahul made disparaging comments about a social welfare organisation, without taking the name of the RSS.

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge responded strongly to Goyal's comments and referred to Modi's statement in China abroad, which he claimed was insulting. He questioned how an issue concerning a member of Lok Sabha be raised in Rajya Sabha, which is against rules.

Amid sloganeering by both sides, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the House till 2 pm. When the House reconvened, Kharge raised a point of order about raising allegations against a member of another House while Goyal insisted that he had not taken the name of the member.

Both Treasury and Opposition benches continued their protest, Dhankhar too adjourned the House till 11 am on Tuesday.