Rahul takes a dig, Javadekar hits back
their right to criticize the functioning of the CM.
Arguing for the MLAS, Mukul Rohatgi challenged the speaker’s notice stating that his action reeked of bad faith since the notice was issued to the MLAS without any application of mind and on the very same day the chief whip filed his complaint.“consummate reading of these facts leaves no manner of doubt that the decision (to suspend MLAS) is a foregone conclusion. What was the tearing hurry?” he demanded. Rohatgi also pointed out that the Speaker gave the MLAS only three days to respond to the notice which also stated that the disqualification plea would be decided ex-parte (without hearing the MLAS) if they failed to respond in writing within the prescribed deadline.
“No reasons were recorded for issuing the notice”, he said.
Senior counsel Devadatt Kamat appearing for speaker rebutted this, stating that reasons are not required to be furnished as per the assembly rules.
The Speaker has maintained throughout that the petition by Pilot is pre-mature since, as per the 1992 SC judgment in the Kihoto Hollohan case, the court can interfere only after the Speaker decides the disqualification petition. Rohatgi asked the court to distinguish the current case from the Kihoto Hollohan case.
nNEWDELHI:CONGRESS leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp)-led central government, listing the alleged “attempt to topple” the government in Rajasthan and the “Namaste Trump” event among its “achievements” in the Covid-19 times. He said due to such “achievements” of the government, the country is now “Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant)” in the fight against the pandemic.
The BJP hit back at Gandhi over his regular tweets against the central government, saying the Congress will become a “party of tweets” as it is doing no work among people and “losing” one leader after another.
“Achievements of the government in the Covid-era: February - Namaste Trump, March - toppling the government in Madhya Pradesh, April - making people light candles, May - government’s sixth anniversary, June Bihar virtual rally, July - attempt to topple the government in Rajasthan,” Gandhi said in a sarcastic tweet in Hindi.
Gandhi has been repeatedly attacking the government over its handling of the coronavirus disease situation and also questioning its planning to combat the pandemic.
Union minister Prakash Javadekar responded to Gandhi, calling protests against the amended citizenship law, the Delhi riots in February the Congress’s “achievements” followed by loss of Jyotiraditya Scindia and power in Madhya Pradesh in March, and “incitement” of migrant workers in April.
He said May marked the sixth anniversary of the Congress’ loss of power at the Centre while the party “advocated” for China in June and then it was “finished” in Rajasthan in July.
“Rahul Gandhi is tweeting on a daily basis. It seems the Congress will become a party of tweets as they are doing no work among the people and losing one leader after another,” Javadekar told reporters.
He said Gandhi’s mocking reference to PM Narendra Modi’s call to the people to light candles is a reference to the masses and also to “corona warriors” as this was aimed at motivating these emergency workers.