Nadda slams Opposition for walkout during Jaishankar's statement
New Delhi (PTI): Union Minister J P Nadda on Monday accused the Opposition of indulging in petty politics and creating anarchy after the Congress and other Opposition parties sought to disrupt Rajya Sabha proceedings and staged a walkout when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a suo motu statement on the situation in West Asia.
Soon after, the House met for the day, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan read out the obituary references and allowed the laying of listed papers. He then asked Jaishankar to make the statement on West Asia.
However, Congress President and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge opposed this and demanded that there should be a full-fledged discussion on the situation in West Asia before such a statement is made by the minister.
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After being permitted by the Chair, Kharge said the escalation in the West Asia conflict will affect the country's economic stability and endanger the security and livelihood of Indian citizens working there.
"I request a short-duration discussion on emerging challenges for energy security and the fast-changing geopolitical situation in West Asia affecting India's energy security," Kharge said.
The Chairman told Kharge he would come back to him, and again asked Jaishankar to continue with his statement.
As the minister started making the statement, MPs belonging to the Congress and other Opposition parties were on their feet and insisted that Kharge be allowed to complete his remarks. They also raised slogans and demanded that a short discussion be allowed to which the minister should reply.
Later, the entire Opposition staged a walkout from the House while the minister was making his statement.
After Jaishankar's statement, Leader of the House J P Nadda termed the Opposition's behaviour as "irresponsible" and said they only want to create "anarchy and hooliganism".
"It is with great regret that I must say that the opposition's behaviour is highly irresponsible and reprehensible. They have absolutely no interest in the country or in debates in Parliament. Their sole aim is to create chaos. In Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition is giving speeches on issues other than the main topic," Nadda said.
The minister reminded the House that Opposition parties staged walkouts during government replies on important discussions like SIR, Viksit Bharat, Operation Sindoor, the Waqf Bill, as well as on the Union Budget.
"The Opposition's interest lies in advancing their petty politics, but under the respected leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this will never be possible. They will keep diminishing while sitting in the Opposition and eventually come to an end," Nadda said.
Kharge earlier said the West Asia conflict is now directly impacting the country's economic stability.
Importantly, about one crore Indians work in the region, and there are reports of some Indians being killed or missing in the ongoing conflict, he said.
"India received about USD 51 billion in remittances from Gulf countries," the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said.
He also raised the issue of increase in LPG cylinder prices which were affecting the common people.
The house also congratulated the Indian cricket team for winning the T20 Cricket World Cup.
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Bypoll results will decide the future of Congress in Karnataka: BJP leader Ashoka
Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the results of the bypolls in Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies will decide the future of the ruling Congress in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies respectively.
The ruling Congress has fielded Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson and Karnataka Minister S S Mallikarjun’s son Samarth Shamanur in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote, who are locked in a direct contest with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
According to Ashoka, there is a contest between the poor and the rich in the upcoming bypolls, scheduled on April 9.
"The Congress will lose this election, and the future of the state will be decided. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said ‘Make the poor win’, the BJP has fielded poor candidates,” the BJP leader said in a press conference.
In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkote, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate, he claimed.
According to him, the Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.
The LoP said if the Congress candidate wins in Davanagere, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party.
He also charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about uniting backward classes, has not given a ticket to backward class candidates.
