RAHUL ‘DOZES OFF’ DURING DEBATE ON DALIT ISSUE, DRAWS FLAK

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi seemingly dozed off in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday when tempers were running high over atrocities against Dalits in Gujarat, drawing flak from the BJP and the BSP.

The Congress, however, was quick to rush to its leader’s defence, suggesting that he was only checking his cellphone. But other parties seemed in no mood to let the opportunity slip and targeted him.

“It shows that his heart is not on providing justice to Dalit victims. He just wants to do politics. If he was really interested in ensuring justice, then he would not be sleeping,” said Union minister Thaavar Chand Gehlot.

Lok Sabha TV’s broadcast of the day’s proceedings gave the impression that Gandhi had slipped into slumber when home minister Rajnath Singh was replying to a question on flogging of Dalit men for skinning a dead cow in a Gujarat. BSP chief Mayawati raised questions about Gandhi’s seriousness on the issue.

“There was a talk about the Congress vice-president visiting the spot (in Gujarat), but he was sleeping when the issue was being debated in the House. It shows how serious he is about it.”

The Congress was in no mood to take things lying down. It even fished out an old photograph of PM Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha to suggest he too was sleeping in the House last November.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, “It is a completely false story that somebody was sleeping in the House. The last I heard was that checking one’s cellphone is neither a crime nor negligence.”

“What I am castigating in the strongest possible words is this attempt, be it by the media or any other quarters, to trivialise, debase and devalue a most important issue,” he added.