Apologise: Cong to Vardhan for remarks against Rahul

February 07, 2020 18:25

The Congress on Friday demanded an apology from Union minister Harsh Vardhan for making "unparliamentary" remarks in Lok Sabha against Rahul Gandhi, who alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party "orchestrated" the ruckus in the House to prevent him from questioning the government.

There was an uproar in the Lower House of Parliament after the Union health minister made the remarks against the former Congress chief, leading to the Lok Sabha being adjourned for the day at 2 pm.

Gandhi and other Congress MPs complained to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and demanded action against Vardhan for making "unwarranted" remarks.

BJP members also prevented Gandhi from exercising his right to ask questions, the opposition party alleged and added that if Congress MPs have violated parliamentary norms, they will express regret.

"The orchestrated ruckus in Parliament today was designed to prevent me from questioning the government. The youth of India can clearly see that the PM has no clue about how to tackle the unemployment crisis.

"To protect him, the BJP will keep disrupting Parliament, preventing debate," Gandhi said on Twitter.

The Congress leader also said that "we are being stifled and we are not being allowed to speak in Parliament". "They have suppressed our voices," he had said earlier.

Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament that Vardhan passed the remarks when he was seeking to raise the issue of the people of his Lok Sabha constituency Wayanad not getting access to medical facilities in the absence of a medical college."But I was prevented from doing so," he said.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Gandhi along with him and some other MPs met the speaker and handed over a complaint against Vardhan for action against him.

"Gandhi pleaded that his rights and privileges should be restored and opportunity should be given to him to ask questions.

"I have proposed that the minister concerned should apologise for his unparliamentary behaviour and have said that our member in the Well went there due to the emotional outburst triggered after the minister's remarks. If found to be wrong, we will also express regret," he said.

"This was a pre-conceived way to defame Rahul Gandhi," Chowdhury alleged, while listing out a detailed chronology of events that led to the ruckus in Lok Sabha.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said his party and Gandhi at no stage have expressed any intent to cause any hurt to the prime minister.

He said the Question Hour is very formal and a special occasion, and Gandhi's question was listed. He cannot be denied his right and the minister cannot violate his right, Sharma said. -- PTI

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