Reacting to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s statement in the Parliament on Monday, party MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the Congress leader was expressing what was happening in the country.
“Rahul Gandhi after becoming the opposition party leader, has first time spoken in the House so BJP was expecting this to be like 16th and 17th… this is the 18th Lok Sabha with a proper opposition and especially Rahul Gandhi as the opposition leader and we have good numbers in hand, we are fighting against what happened in the past,” said Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy.
“We are trying to find accountability in the temple of democracy. After ten years first time we saw something happening, people across the country were watching the House and they were not able to digest and that’s why they were trying to divert the attention towards Hinduism… he (Rahul Gandhi) was expressing what was happening in this country where the presidential speech was totally a scripted speech written by the BJP. Rahul Gandhi is trying to expose the same…”, he added further.
Meanwhile, another Congress MP, Saleng A Sangma reacted to Rahul Gandhi’s statement on the Manipur issue and said,”…Whatever he (Rahul Gandhi) has said is the reality he saw…that’s why they (BJP) are seeking an apology. I don’t think Rahul Gandhi should apologise…BJP and PM are very much silent on Manipur issue and that’s why Rahul Gandhi has raised that issue…”
On Monday, Rahul Gandhi’s maiden speech in Lok Sabha as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha generated a lot of political heat with BJP leaders accusing him “of speaking lies, misleading the House and terming the entire Hindu community violent” and the Congress hitting back with counter allegations against the Modi government.
The atmosphere was charged in Rajya Sabha also with BJP members repeatedly objecting to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks as he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “divisive” speeches in the Lok Sabha campaign.
The two Houses took up the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address with PM Modi slamming Rahul Gandhi during his speech. “Calling the entire Hindu community violent is a very serious matter,” PM Modi said. Home Minister Amit Shah demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi.
While the BJP held a press conference later to denounce Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, Congress also held an evening presser to slam the ruling party at the Centre.
Rahul Gandhi launched a multi-pronged attack on the BJP targeting it over its remarks during the Lok Sabha campaign, the NEET-UG controversy, Agniveer scheme.
Participating in the debate on the Motion Of Thanks on the President’s Address, Rahul Gandhi targeted the BJP-led government over the Agniveer scheme and claimed that Agniveer is not called a ‘jawan’ and said that Agniveers serving for a period of four years will not get a pension.”One Agniveer lost his life in a landmine blast but he is not called a ‘martyr’… ‘Agniveer’ is a use and throw labourer,” Rahul Gandhi alleged, attacking the BJP-led NDA government over the scheme,” he had said.
He also called the Hindu symbol ‘Abhayamudra’ which gestures fearlessness, reassurance and safety, as the symbol of the Congress party.”Abhayamudra is the symbol of Congress…The Abhayamudra is the gesture of fearlessness, is the gesture of reassurance and safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss in Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and other Indian religions…All our great men have spoken about non-violence and finishing fear…But, those who call themselves Hindu only talk about violence, hatred, untruth…Aap Hindu ho hi nahi,” the Congress leader said.