Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday led a fierce charge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address. Displaying a portrait of Lord Shiva in the House — much to Speaker Om Birla’s displeasure — Rahul took potshots at the RSS and the BJP and said that Hinduism can never preach violence, hatred or spreading falsehoods.
From Hindutva to the NEET paper leak issue, BJP’s Faizabad loss to the Prime Minister’s Lok Sabha election campaign and alleged misuse of central agencies to silence the voice of the Opposition, the Lower House today witnessed a re-energised Opposition ably led by an aggressive yet composed Rahul Gandhi.
“All our great men have spoken about non-violence and ending fear… But those who call themselves Hindus only talk about violence, hatred and lies… You’re not Hindu,” Rahul said, prompting an intervention from Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders. “Calling entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue,” PM Modi said in a rare intervention to the remarks by the Leader of Opposition.
Rahul, however, went on to display the portrait of Lord Shiva on multiple occasions and accused the BJP of threatening minorities, spreading hatred, violence against Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and also underlined the importance of fearlessness.
Rahul further went on to attack the government on issues like the Manipur issue, the Agniveer scheme, the government’s response to the farmers’ protests, and the NEET paper leak issue besides older decisions such as demonetisation and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax.
“One Agniveer lost his life in a landmine blast but he is not called a ‘martyr’, ‘Agniveer’ is a use and throw labourer to the Centre,” Rahul said but was immediately countered by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who said martyrs were offered Rs 1 crore as compensation in case of death under the scheme.
Rahul also raked up the issue of farmers’ protest and said the Centre, out of its sheer arrogance, termed them as terrorists. “We wanted to observe a moment of silence for the farmers who lost their lives in the protests but you refused saying they were terrorists,” Rahul said, adding that the Centre was yet to offer legal guarantee on MSP.
Rahul also slammed the government’s response to the Manipur issue and said that the government does not see the state as a part of India. “The PM, HM will not speak a word on Manipur… As if it is not a part of India. Politics, policies of BJP have burnt down Manipur, pushed it into civil war,” he said.
Rahul’s aggressive stand in Parliament, backed by a re-energised Opposition, signalled a change in the Opposition’s approach. Unfazed by the repeated interruptions by the NDA leaders, Rahul continued his speech and said that the government should not treat the Opposition as its enemy. “We are here to help you,” he said.
Rahul, however, did not miss the opportunity to rub the BJP’s loss in the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, which also houses Ayodhya, and said that the people of the constituency rejected the BJP’s propaganda. “The government demolished the houses and shops of local people in Ayodhya. The people of Ayodhya weren’t even invited to the inauguration ceremony,” Rahul added.
