JOIN USOnly Indira Gandhi government curbed civil liberties: Hardeep Singh Puri slams Rahul Gandhi over UK remarks
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Indian democracy in London and hit back at the Congress reminding them that it was under the Indira Gandhi regime that civil liberties were curbed.
An unambiguous apology from Rahul Gandhi can end the logjam in Parliament, Puri said.
Addressing a press conference, the BJP leader categorically rejected Gandhi's claims on the prevailing situation in India and urged him to clarify if he was "playing to an agenda”.
During his interactions in the United Kingdom recently, Gandhi alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.
Slamming Rahul for inviting foreign powers to interfere, Puri questioned Rahul's objectives.
"Rahul Gandhi calls China's Belt & Road Initiative visionary. Does he know that China's BRI goes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir?" Puri said.
"If any individual goes outside the country he has the freedom to speak but along with that freedom comes what I call the need to have a sense of responsibility. We are the world's oldest democracy but Mr Gandhi goes to UK and says Indian democracy is facing an attack on the basic structure," he said.
He further added that Congress leader Jairam Ramesh was tutoring Rahul Gandhi.
The erstwhile civil aviation minister also said that it was only the Indira Gandhi government that curbed civil liberties during the emergency.
"His grandmother invoked Article 356 150 times to suspend & dismiss legitimately elected state governments," he said.
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The Housing and Urban Affairs minister demanded that the Congress leader unequivocally apologise for his remarks to bring the issue to a closure.
“To begin with, I think, you need closure and the closure will only come if he apologises. And, he should apologise categorically, unequivocally,” he demanded.
When asked how the logjam in Parliament would end, the minister said, “This is absolutely a call that he (Gandhi) has to make.”
“He should apologise unambiguously and say that he made a mistake and hence, he apologises,” he said, adding “My understanding is that it will pave the way and facilitate the functioning of Parliament.”
(With PTI inputs)