LS stalled after ruckus over minister's criticism against Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Modi

The proceedings of the Lok Sabha was stalled on Friday, as the House witnessed ruckus over Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan's statement condemning a remark Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an election rally in Delhi.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) later alleged that some Congress MPs had made an attempt to manhandle the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare during the ruckus in the Lok Sabha. The Congress, on the other hand, criticized Harsh Vardhan for targeting Rahul Gandhi instead of replying to his query during the Question Hour. Rahul Gandhi, himself, posted on Twitter, accusing the BJP-led Government of “orchestrating” the ruckus in the Lok Sabha in order to “prevent” him from questioning it.

“The orchestrated ruckus in Parliament today was designed to prevent me from questioning the Govt. (Government),” Rahul Gandhi posted on Twitter. “The youth of In (India) can clearly see that the PM (Prime Minister) has no clue about how to tackle the unemployment crisis to protect him, the BJP will keep disrupting Parliament, preventing debate.”

Speaker Om Birla first adjourned the Lok Sabha for a little more than an hour. But as the stalemate could not be resolved by the time it reassembled at 1:00 p.m. the House was adjourned again till 2:00 p.m. It was later adjourned for the day.

The Congress later lodged a complaint with Speaker Om Birla against the Health Minister and other MPs of the ruling party.

The trouble started during the Question Hour when the Speaker called Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare to reply to a question by Congress MP from Wayanad in Kerala on establishment of medical colleges. Harsh Vardhan, however, instead of replying to the question, said that he would first like to condemn “in no uncertain words” the “outlandish” remarks made by Rahul Gandhi against Prime Minister. He was supported by other BJP MPs too.

He was referring to Rahul Gandhi's remark said that Modi would not be able to come out of his home a few months later as the youths would beat him up with sticks and make him understand that the country could not progress unless he provide employment for them.

Harsh Vardhan said that Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi too was a Prime Minister.

“I don't think in the worst of cases our party leaders have made such outlandish personal remarks against him (Rajiv Gandhi) threatening to beat him with dandas (sticks) and throwing him out of the country,” he said, even as the Speaker tried to stop him.

The Congress MPs protested against Harsh Vardhan's bid to condemn Rahul Gandhi's remark on Prime Minister during the Question Hour. Several Congress MPs came to the well of the House, while one of them, Manickam Tagore, was seen moving towards the Treasury Bench, where Harsh Vardhan was speaking from the second row.

Tagore was stopped by Brij Bhushan Saran Singh, a BJP member from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh, who held the Tamil Nadu MP by his arm. Prahlad Joshi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, also came to the Well. Hibi Eden, another Congress MP from Kerala, was also seen apparently trying to intervene. As a scuffle between the MPs of the BJP and the Congress looked imminent, the Speaker adjourned the House.

“After Rahul Gandhi's instigation, they (the Congress MPs) thought they would show us the 'danda' (stick) way,” Joshi told journalists outside Parliament. “This was an attempt to manhandle Dr Harsh Vardhan. This shows the frustration level of the Congress and its height of goondaism.”

Rahul Gandhi said that he was keen to raise the issue of lack of medical college in his constituency Wayanad in Kerala. “(The) BJP obviously does not like it if I speak. We are not allowed to speak in Parliament. See the visuals, Manickam Tagore did not attack anyone, rather he was attacked.”

Tagore later wrote to Speaker alleging that the BJP MPs had manhandled him. He alleged that Singh had “pushed” him and “threatened to kill” him.