Recall PM’s remarks in China, S.Korea: Cong to BJP on Rahul’s London speech

| Updated: 13 March, 2023 2:04 pm IST

In a complaint to the ED director, the opposition parties said, "Over the last three months, several crucial pieces of evidence have been made available against the Adani Group in the public domain.

On the first day of the second part of Parliament’s Budget Session, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for demanding an apology from his party leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent remarks in London, following which there were heated arguments between treasury and Opposition benches.

He said it was the Modi government that was misinterpreting Rahul Gandhi’s Cambridge speech. Kharge referred to past instances where the PM had allegedly spoken in a negative way about India. Citing his supposed remarks in China and South Korea, Kharge said, “I want to remind you of your statement made in China. You said – ‘Earlier, you felt ashamed of being born Indian. Now you feel proud to represent the country’ Was this not an insult to India and Indians? Tell your Ministers to refresh their memories!”.

“In South Korea, you had said, ‘there was a time when people used to question what sin they committed in their past life which resulted in taking birth in India, is this what you call a country… The businessmen would want to leave the country for better opportunities abroad. But these days they are saying they will come back even if their incomes are lower than earlier,” Kharge said. “First see the ‘Mirror of Truth’, before lecturing the Congress party!” he added.

He further added the Leader of the House Piyush Goyal went against the rules as Rahul Gandhi’s speech in London wasn’t related to the proceedings in Rajya Sabha. “This is against the rule. If they wanted to raise it, they could have given a notice in Lok Sabha. No notice was given. Why our chairman (Jagdeep Dhankar), who talks about rules did not object to this? Under which rule is this allowed? The Modi government itself is crushing democracy here,” the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said, speaking to media outside Parliament,

Kharge said that the fact BJP showed scant regard for Parliamentary rules shows they are against democratic norms.

“They themselves are suppressing democracy. And there is no rule of law and democracy under Modi ji. They are running the country like a dictatorship, and then they talk about democracy. Because they are misusing every autonomous body and they are also misusing every agency. There is no prior notice.” he said.

Kharge said that we are demanding the constitution of JPC on the Adani stocks issue.

“When we raise this issue, then mics are switched off and a ruckus erupts in the House,” he said.

Shortly after Parliament reconvened, Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm, after the protesting Opposition leaders rushed to the Well of the House leading to a ruckus. The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till 2 pm.

Addressing the lower house, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi started speaking on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks in London.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned by the speaker due to a ruckus created by protesting Opposition MPs.

Earlier, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal in his speech alleged that Gandhi tried to show the country in a poor light while traveling abroad and demanded his apology.

Even Defence Minister Rajnath Singh demanded Rahul Gandhi’s apology in Lok Sabha for his remarks abroad.

Rahul Gandhi visited United Kingdom for a week and addressed a seminar and several other programs there