Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the Opposition was not allowed to raise issues concerning the farmers, the poor, the youth and the Pegasus snooping controversy in Parliament because Prime Minister Narendra Modi was selling India to a chosen few industrialists.
Leading a group of 14 political parties in a symbolic march of protest from Parliament to Vijay Chowk in the morning, the Congress MP said: “I want to tell the country why the Opposition was not allowed to speak, to raise issues about the poor, the farmers, youth. Who stopped the Opposition from speaking? The Prime Minister. Hindustan ka pradhan mantri Hindustan ko bech raha hai (India’s Prime Minister is selling India). He is selling India’s soul to a few industrialists.”
Rahul and the other MPs had assembled in Parliament in protest against the move to adjourn the session two days before the scheduled closure without allowing Opposition members to speak on any of the issues they were agitated about while the government’s business was completed in the turmoil.
The leaders of almost every party pointed to the peril Indian democracy was in and vowed to fight the Modi government’s authoritarianism on the streets.
Rahul said: “The session is over without the participation of 60 per cent of the population. The voice of 60 per cent of India was crushed, humiliated. In the Rajya Sabha yesterday (Wednesday), MPs were physically beaten for the first time. We are speaking from here because we were not allowed to discuss the price rise, farmers’ agitation and the Pegasus snooping inside the House. This is nothing short of the murder of democracy.”
Rahul flared up when a reporter asked him about the pain and anguish expressed by the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman over the continued disruptions, saying: “Are you a government spokesperson? You are worried about the pain felt by presiding officers. What is their responsibility? Why did they not run Parliament? Why can’t the Opposition speak in Parliament?”
The Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut said: “What session if the Opposition couldn’t speak? The session hasn’t happened. What happened is murder of democracy. Last night in the Rajya Sabha, I felt I was standing at the Pakistan border. Never seen such scenes in Parliament. Marshals and private people in uniform attacked women members. But the Opposition is united and will protect democracy.”
Many other leaders alleged that outsiders had come to Parliament and behaved like “goondas”.
An Opposition delegation called on Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu and lodged a strong protest at the manner the House was conducted. A letter written to Naidu by the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, and signed by all the parties, said: “The Opposition strongly condemns the authoritarian attitude and undemocratic actions of the government. We remain committed to continue our struggle against the assault on parliamentary democracy and agitate on issues of national importance and people’s concerns.”
The Opposition parties also issued a joint statement that accused the government of deliberately derailing the session knowing full well that the Opposition wanted to discuss four issues — Pegasus snooping, the farmers’ agitation, inflation and economic situation.
Arguing that the government was hell-bent on escaping parliamentary scrutiny, they said it relied on brute majority to misuse Parliament and the power of propaganda to mislead the nation.
Later in the evening, Trinamul’s Derek O’Brien and the RJD’s Manoj Jha responded to the defence of the government’s conduct by eight ministers with eight questions: 1. Why was Modi not present in House during the passage of the OBC constitutional amendment bill? 2. Why were 38 bills bulldozed through without discussion and within minutes? 3. Why are bills not sent to select committees for proper parliamentary scrutiny? 4. Why the rain of ordinances? 5. Why has the PM not answered one question in the last five years? 6. Why has a Lok Sabha deputy Speaker not been elected? 7. Why were discussions not allowed on Pegasus, farmers and inflation? and 8. Whose responsibility is it to run Parliament?
Rahul continued his attack on the government at a massive “Halla Bol (Raise your voice)” demonstration organised by the party’s Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes department, saying: “The Prime Minister is attacking India’s Constitution in connivance with a few industrialists. We are not allowed to raise people’s concerns in Parliament. Yesterday MPs were beaten up inside Parliament. Modi first tries to snatch farmers’ rights and then brands them terrorist. Even the media is not working for the country; they work for the RSS, Modi and the interests of some industrialists.”
But he predicted: “This is a country of mature people. They are gradually understanding the game. The poor, Dalits, farmers, workers are beginning to speak in one voice. This voice will get stronger and raise a storm one day, throwing out the Modi regime. We don’t have to fear these cowards. If you stop getting frightened, they will run away. The job of the Congress is to tell the citizens that India belongs to everyone and there is no need to fear.”
