Rajya Sabha witnesses uproar over Kharge's 'unparliamentary' expression
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New Delhi (PTI): The Rajya Sabha witnessed an uproar on Tuesday over an 'unparliamentary' remark by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who apologised to the Chair while clarifying that it was meant for the government that was "trying to create a regional divide" in the country.
As the Upper House took up a discussion on the working of the Education Ministry soon after the Question Hour, several opposition members were on their feet demanding an apology from minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his remarks against the Tamil Nadu government.
Pradhan on Monday slammed the Tamil Nadu government for its stand on the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP), accusing it of "ruining the future of the students" in the state for politics
On Tuesday, as Deputy Chairman Harivansh called Congress leader Digvijay Singh to initiate a discussion on the working of the education ministry, DMK MPs, who came dressed in black to oppose delimitation and NEP, were on their feet demanding an apology from Pradhan.
Amid the uproar, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge stood up to intervene.
Even though the Chair said the Congress president had already been given an opportunity to speak in the morning, Kharge said the education minister was not in the House at that time. "This is a dictatorship," he said.
As the Chair said it was Singh's turn to speak, Kharge said the opposition was prepared to corner the government.
Kharge used a Hindi expression to mean that the opposition would "hit back" at the government, leading to an uproar from the treasury benches that claimed the expression was "unparliamentary".
Leader of the House JP Nadda intervened and said the expression used by the Leader of Opposition is condemnable.
"The language used by the Leader of Opposition, the aspersions on the chair, is condemnable... This is to be condemned by one and all. The words and language used for the Chair is unpardonable, still he should apologise and the word should be expunged," he said.
Kharge immediately apologised for using the expression, and also clarified that it was not meant for the chair but for government policies. "I am sorry, I was not speaking about you, it was about government policies. I am sorry if you were hurt by my remarks, I apologise to you," he said.
"You are hurting the self-respect of a part of this country and people, and calling them uncultured and uncivilised... The minister should be asked to resign. They are talking about dividing and breaking the country," Kharge said.
Nadda said it is good that Kharge apologised to the Chair, and appreciated his gesture, adding the remarks are still condemnable if they were meant for the government.
The Chair then called Digvijay Singh to speak who initiated the debate on the working of the Education Ministry.
During his reply in Lok Sabha on the Central funds for the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme on Monday, Pradhan had called the MK Stalin government of Tamil Nadu "dishonest" and "uncivilised", evoking protests from the DMK MPs.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
