BJP women’s wing chief Vanathi Srinivasan had a lot of explaining to do for wearing a black saree to the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday as Congress MLAs donned black in protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a MP.
Vanathi, MLA from Coimbatore (South), faced a lot of questions from the media the moment journalists noticed she was wearing a black saree. “I didn’t know they were coming in black dress today,” she told reporters when it was pointed out that Congress MLAs had come to the House dressed in black.
A smiling Vanathi took pains to explain to journalists and other MLAs who asked in a lighter vein whether she was supporting Congress MLAs. In the House too, a smiling Speaker M Appavu asked the same question.
“Congress MLAs have come in uniform today. Are you also supporting them?” the Speaker asked the legislator while allowing her to raise a question.
In response, Vanathi said she donned black on Monday to protest against the hardships faced by DMK members during the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.
Congress MLAs on Monday wore black shirts to the House and held a protest inside the Secretariat premises. Shouting slogans like “Modi, please don’t murder democracy” and “Down, down BJP and Modi”, the legislators condemned the decision to disqualify Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha.
The Congress MLAs, while maintaining that their protest was only against the BJP, have decided to stay for the night in the Assembly.
(Published 27 March 2023, 15:58 IST)
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