New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on February 5 witnessed heated exchanges after Union Minister JP Nadda accused the Congress of allowing itself to be “held hostage to a naive child,” in an apparent swipe at Rahul Gandhi. The fiery showdown comes amid repeated disruptions and the controversy surrounding the cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled address in the Lok Sabha on February 4.
In his remarks, Nadda blamed the Opposition for stalling proceedings and rejected claims that democratic functioning was under threat.
Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, hit back, accusing the government of stifling debate and not allowing Opposition voices to be heard in the Lok Sabha.
The confrontation in the Rajya Sabha came amid ongoing protests in the Lok Sabha, where the Congress alleged that MP Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to complete his speech during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
Gandhi was stopped while attempting to read excerpts from former Army chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir, which Gandhi had pitched as a matter of national security.
The government maintained that parliamentary rules must be followed and has rejected claims that debate is being curtailed.
