Rahul's 'not Hindus' dig at BJP draws protests, Modi says calling Hindus violent serious matter
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha on Monday, saying those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in "violence and hate" round the clock, drawing massive protests from the members of the treasury benches with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious matter.
Gandhi, however, retorted that he was speaking about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or Modi are not the entire Hindu society, he added.
The Congress leader also showed a picture of Lord Shiva and said his message is about fearlessness and non-violence. He also cited the teachings of other religions to make a similar point.
However, his dig at the BJP that it does not represent all Hindus and jab at the ruling party by citing the essence of different religions had the members of the treasury benches on their feet.
Home Minister Amit Shah sought Gandhi's apology to the House and the country for hurting the feelings of crores of people who take pride in identifying themselves as Hindus.
Shah spoke of the Emergency and 1984 anti-Sikhs riots to hit back at Gandhi, saying he has no right to talk about non-violence when the Congress had spread "terror" in the country.
Gandhi further emphasised that all religions talk about courage, citing Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism to underline the importance of fearlessness.
He accused the BJP of launching systematic attacks on the Constitution and the fundamental idea of India, noting that millions of people have resisted the ideas proposed by the ruling party.
"I was attacked on the orders of Prime Minister Modi. There were 20-plus cases (against me), (my) house was taken away, 55 hours of interrogation by the ED," Gandhi said.
Despite these challenges, he said he feels proud of the collective effort to protect the Constitution.
"It feels nice that BJP people are now repeating 'Jai Samvidhan' after me," he said.
Gandhi also expressed his contentment at being in the opposition.
"I am happy and proud to be in the opposition. For us, there is something more than power, it is the truth," he said.
During his first speech as the leader of opposition, Gandhi showed a picture of Lord Shiva, which prompted Speaker Om Birla to remind him that rules do not allow displaying placards in the House.
Gandhi reiterated that all religions, including Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism, emphasise courage and the importance of being fearless.
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link now fully operational
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link was opened to vehicular traffic on Saturday noon after a delay caused by the dismantling of inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work, a day after the Pune section became operational.
The 13.3 km-long "missing link", which bypasses a section of the Bhor Ghat stretch of the expressway and cuts travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes, was inaugurated a day earlier by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
The Pune-bound carriageway of the corridor was opened to traffic immediately; however, the Mumbai-bound section remained closed to traffic for several hours after the inauguration.
An official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation told PTI on Saturday that the opening of the Mumbai-bound carriageway was delayed mainly due to the dismantling of the inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work.
The removal of the stage and other decorations was completed in the morning. The work to load and transport the material slightly delayed the opening of the carriageway.
Vehicular movement on the carriageway began after all the remaining material was cleared and road cleaning was completed, the official added.
The expressway control room said that despite significant vehicular movement, the access-controlled highway has not witnessed any major traffic snarls since Friday evening, after the Pune-bound carriageway of the missing link was opened to traffic.
The Missing Link project connects Khopoli (in Raigad) on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala in Pune district and is expected to make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the ghat section.
Developed by the MSRDC and dubbed an "engineering marvel", the project includes two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. It bypasses the steep, accident-prone ghat section, where frequent traffic snarls are reported during weekends and on public holidays.
