Shifting from the National Herald issue, the Congress on Thursday latched on to certain “objectionable” remarks made by a BJP member against Rahul Gandhi, creating uproar to demand his apology even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan cautioned the MP, saying his comments were “wrong”.
Members of the Congress, along with those of Trinamool Congress (TMC), walked out to boycott the Lok Sabha for the day after failing to extract an apology from Virendra Singh, even after Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said any personal remarks are “condemned”.
Singh, MP from Bhadoi in Uttar Pradesh, had made the remarks against Gandhi in the House on Wednesday, while participating in a discussion on drought situation.
Congress, which had given Adjournment Motion, raked up the issue as soon as the House met for the day, with its leader Mallikarjun Kharge saying that the BJP member’s remarks against Gandhi, Scindia and former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were “objectionable in nature and shocking”.
He added: “We saw shocking behaviour when ruling party members, including ministers, were encouraging him.”
Mahajan said the remarks have been expunged and she had warned the member.
This did not help and the Congress members rushed to the Well and raised slogans while the House took up the Question Hour.
At the same time, Naidu said that Congress members had also “hurled papers” at Deputy Speaker Thambidurai on Wednesday and questioned, “Should action not be taken against them? You (Congress members) called Prime Minister, who is the darling of the masses, Hitler. Is that okay?”