Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Uproar in LS over Hedge’s remark against Mahatma

RUCKUS Oppn members jumped into the well shouting slogans, Congress stages walkout

- Press Trust of India letters@hindustant­imes.com

NEW DELHI: The controvers­ial remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Anant Kumar Hegde on Mahatma Gandhi rocked Lok Sabha on Tuesday, with Congress members shouting slogans and walking out of the House after accusing the ruling party of doing “Godse politics”.

Immediatel­y after the House convened at noon after the proceeding­s were adjourned following uproar by Opposition members over Hegde’s remarks, Congress l eader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the BJP leader has “insulted” Mahatma Gandhi, who is respected by people across the globe.

Chowdhury then made a remark against Hegde, which Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said would not go on record.

Opposition members including Congress MPS jumped into the well displaying placards and shouting slogans.

Despite requests by t he speaker, opposition members did not stop sloganeeri­ng and later Congress members walked out of the House.

Chowdhury also said that they were expecting a response from Parliament­ary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on the controvers­ial remarks but they are “helping” people who hate Mahatma Gandhi. “I have no expectatio­ns from people who are doing Godse politics,” he said.

At an event in Bengaluru recently, Hegdge had said that freedom fighters, who did not sacrifice anything, made the country believe that it attained Independen­ce through ‘Upavas Satyagrah’, Gandhi’s preferred mode of agitation, and became Mahapurush (great person). The former MP had said, “There were two types of freedom fighters, one which believed in Shastra (arms) and another in Shaastra (intellectu­al motivators).

Earlier Lok Sabha proceeding­s were adjourned till noon following uproar by Opposition members over Hegde’s remarks.

Mostly members from the Congress, DMK and NCP sought to r ai s e t he i s s ue of Hegde’s remarks but the Speaker did not allow them.

Parliament­ary Affairs Minister Joshi said members of the BJP are real “bhakts” and followers of Gandhi while the Congress is a follower of “nakli (fake) Gandhi like Rahul and Sonia Gandhi”.

 ??  ?? Opposition members protest in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament on Tuesday.
PTI
Opposition members protest in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament on Tuesday. PTI

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