News Brief
Here’s What Got Expunged From Rahul Gandhi’s Controversial Lok Sabha Speech
Rahul Gandhi
Hours after Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, delivered a speech critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, portions of his speech were expunged from the Parliament records.
As Gandhi's remarks triggered an uproar from the treasury benches, it further led to the Chair striking them off the record.
In his debut address as the Leader of the Opposition, Gandhi, with a copy of the Constitution in his hand and photos of religious figures, including Lord Shiva, criticised the BJP and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Speaking in the parliament, Gandhi asserted that those who called themselves Hindus only talked about violence, hatred, and untruth, triggering PM Modi to intervene over his remarks.
During his speech, Rahul Gandhi, said, “All our great men have spoken about non-violence and eliminating fear… But those who call themselves Hindu only talk about violence, hatred, untruth…”.
"Calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue...," PM Modi said initially.
In his second intervention, PM Modi quipped the Constitution had taught him to take the post of the Leader of the Opposition, now held by Gandhi, seriously.
The statements by Gandhi that got expunged from the Parliament proceedings were his accusations on the BJP, stating that the party is treating minorities unfairly, his remarks on industrialists Adani and Ambani, his accusations that the NEET exam is for rich people and there is no place in it for meritorious students, and that the Agniveer Scheme is not of the Indian Army, but of the PMO (Prime Minister's Office).
Besides PM Modi, who intervened twice, at least five cabinet ministers interjected during Gandhi's speech, which lasted about an hour and 40 minutes, with Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an apology from him.
