Rajya Sabha Chair expunges Kharge's remarks on PM poll speeches, RSS
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday for his poll speeches and also levelled allegations against the ruling BJP's ideological parent RSS but most of his remarks were expunged by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Dhankhar also defended the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calling it an organisation engaged in working for the nation.
During his speech in the Upper House of Parliament on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Congress chief Kharge mentioned comments made by Modi in his election rallies and presented statistics showing the number of times the prime minister referred to minorities and Pakistan.
The Rajya Sabha chairman asked him to authenticate his assertions and refused to accept newspaper clippings that the Congress leader showed to buttress his points.
Kharge was backed by his party colleague and former finance minister P Chidambaram, who asked how an opposition MP could authenticate what the prime minister has said other than by citing news reports.
The Chair, however, did not accept the arguments and expunged the remarks made by Kharge from the records.
Kharge insisted that he was only seeking to highlight the divisive nature of the speeches delivered by the prime minister. He also said no other prime minister before Modi had ever made such comments.
In his nearly 90-minute speech, which also saw several disruptions by the treasury benches and intervention by the Chair, Kharge repeatedly referred to the RSS and personalities associated with it.
Talking about the education system in the country, Kharge made certain allegations regarding the RSS.
Dhankhar said the comments stood expunged as it was not fair to level allegations against the RSS, an organisation engaged in nationalistic activities.
"Is it a crime to be a member of an organisation? You are saying a particular person is a member of the RSS, is that in itself a crime? The RSS is an organisation working for the nation. They have a lot of intelligent people," Dhankhar added.
Kharge cited a remark by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Manipur but that too was expunged, with Dhankar saying the Congress leader was contradicting himself.
Leader of the House and BJP president J P Nadda too objected to the remarks made by Kharge. He said the Congress leader had no knowledge about the RSS and whatever Kharge was saying about the organisation was regrettable.
"You are bashing an organisation which is working tirelessly for the nation," Dhankhar said.
The Congress leader also raised the issue of the relocation of statutes of prominent personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi and Chhatrapati Shivaji from the Parliament premises.
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Congress biggest opponent of Constitution: PM Modi's scathing attack in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the Congress party in the Rajya Sabha, accusing it of being "the biggest opponent of the Constitution" and running a "fake narrative" to mislead the public.
During his reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address, the Prime Minister challenged the opposition's claim that the recent 2024 elections were fought on the issue of "protecting the Constitution".
Reminding the House of the 1977 elections, Modi said it was fought for the protection of the Constitution following the Emergency. It was the first election fought for the protection of the Constitution, he asserted.
"People have more faith in us for the protection of the Constitution. Therefore, they gave us the mandate," Modi said, criticising the Congress for its "hypocrisy" on the constitutional matters.
Modi accused the Congress of committing several constitutional improprieties during its tenure, including extending the Lok Sabha term to seven years during the Emergency and creating the National Advisory Council (NAC) when in power.
He also questioned the constitutional basis for these actions and criticised the party for prioritising one family over established protocols.
The Prime Minister also called out Congress allies, particularly those representing backward communities, for aligning with a party which he accused of having a poor record on the constitutional matters.
He suggested that these alliances were born out of political opportunism rather than genuine concern for constitutional values.
Modi also said that the Congress, lacking popular support, was resorting to "fake narratives" and "fake videos" to mislead the country.
He criticised the opposition for focusing on a "save corruption campaign" instead of engaging in discussions on development vision.
Modi's attack on the Congress in the Upper House took an unexpected turn when the Opposition staged a walkout midway through his speech. This prompted sharp reactions from both the Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Modi accused the Opposition of lacking the courage to face the truth and listen to responses to issues they had raised.
"The country is watching -- those who spread lies do not have the courage to listen to the truth," he said, adding that the Opposition was insulting the traditions of the Upper House.
Dhankhar expressed his disappointment, calling the Opposition's behaviour "painful and indecent". He emphasized that the walkout was not just a rejection of the proceedings, but a disregard for their constitutional oath.
The Prime Minister continued his address, touching upon several sensitive issues.
He criticized the Opposition's selective approach to atrocities against women, citing recent incidents in West Bengal.
Modi expressed concerns over the politicisation of such issues and the silence of certain leaders when cases involve their own party or state.
The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of consistently fielding Dalit candidates in elections that they were likely to lose, including recent Speaker elections and the 2022 and 2017 Presidential and Vice Presidential polls.
He suggested this was a pattern of using Dalit and backward community members as scapegoats while protecting the interests of a particular family.
Throughout his speech, Modi maintained that the Opposition's actions stemmed from their inability to accept the mandate given by the people to the NDA government. He reiterated his commitment to serving the nation and providing a detailed account of his government's work.
