RS uproar over Nehru being ignored in Kovind’s speech

Congress leader Anand Sharma’s oblique reference on Wednesday to President Ram Nath Kovind leaving out India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s name from his inaugural address and comparing Deen Dayal Upadhyay with Mahatma Gandhi led to a heated exchange between the ruling BJP and main opposition party in the Rajya Sabha.

On Tuesday, Congress took a strong exception to Kovind’s speech and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the President has to “protect the Constitution and rise above and think beyond party politics”.

The leader of the House Arun Jaitley demanded that the chair expunge the speech as rules bar any reference to the high constitutional authority during a debate in the house. “Issues are raised for television cameras,” Jaitley said.

While Sharma said he did not refer to any constitutional authority, Jaitley remarked, “We all know who you are referring to.”

Azad said the government time and again humiliates Gandhi and Nehru. “Centenary of such people are celebrated who have not contributed to the freedom movement. This government picks and chooses,” Azad said.

The House was adjourned after Congress members trooped into the Well raising slogans.

There is no concrete evidence that the 39 Indians abducted from Mosul have been killed and “I will not commit the sin” of declaring them dead without any evidence, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said in Lok Sabha. Swaraj said the government will continue its efforts to trace the Indians till it gets evidence that they were dead. ››P8

CRIME MAY WIN YOU POLL