1 month ago
Last Updated: July 31, 2024, 15:15 IST
In a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused BJP MP Anurag Thakur of “insulting and abusing” him during a discussion on the Union Budget. (Image: PTI)
The BJP countered the Congress taking the line that MP Anurag Thakur did not take names and said the party does not see anything wrong with the speech
Buoyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public endorsement of fellow MP Anurag Thakur’s speech and using social media to its advantage, the BJP went all out in its attack on Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. This came after the Congress created a ruckus in Parliament over Thakur’s remarks, apparently questioning Gandhi’s caste.
The BJP countered the Congress, which moved a privilege motion on the grounds that Modi’s encouragement of Thakur was a “serious breach of parliamentary privilege”. Taking the line that he did not take names, the saffron camp defended Thakur and said it does not see anything wrong in his speech.
“Jinki jaat ka pataa nahin, woh ganana ki baat karte hain (Those who don’t know their own caste, are talking about conducting a caste census),” Thakur said during his budget speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (July 30). His vicious attack against Gandhi triggered an ugly spat between the opposition and treasury benches.
“Earlier privilege motion by the Congress was also against the PM when he had made a reference to Hamid Ansari’s tenure and said when he was the VP, things bent towards the other side. This time, Rahul Gandhi feels insulted over caste. When that uproar happened in Parliament, I was there. But, ever since this session started, such behaviour is shameful in the temple of democracy,” BJP leader Sambit Patra said at a press conference.
“Anurag thakur did not name anybody, so why only one person felt but nobody else? A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi was asking the caste of a journalist and about the caste of high court judges. You can ask someone else’s caste and if someone asks about yours, you say “mummy mummy”. He can ask about others and now you say this when nobody even named you. Rahul Gandhi has tried to raise questions on PM Modi’s caste as well in the past. Look at the way he comes to Parliament, with hands in his pocket; this is his arrogance reflecting in his body language,” Patra said.
According to sources, there is no ground for the privilege motion as the former minister did not name anyone in the speech, which is there for everyone to see and hear on Lok Sabha TV and websites.
