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Himachal: Congress protests against Rahul’s disqualification
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur demanded a discussion by raising a point of order after the lunch break, but speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania rejected it
The opposition BJP and the ruling Congress sparred over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP during the Vidhan Sabha session, prompting the speaker to adjourn the assembly till Monday.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur demanded a discussion by raising a point of order after the lunch break, but speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania rejected it. Following this, MLAs of the ruling and opposition parties raised slogans against each other.
Seeing the ruckus in the House, the speaker initially adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes and later till Monday.
During the lunch break, Congress MLAs led by chief minister Sukhvinder Sukhu had also staged a protest on the assembly premises and raised slogans against PM Modi-led central government.
They accused the Centre of implicating Rahul in a “well-hatched conspiracy”. Sukhu said the entire BJP is trying to defame him as it got scared by Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.
He said pointing fingers at the Gandhi family is a political ploy. “The Gandhi family has made sacrifices for the unity and integrity of the country. People of the entire country are with Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
He said that the government cannot suppress Rahul’s voice.
“Rahul is the grandson of former PM Indira Gandhi. He can win and get elected anytime, but it is not about winning the election,” Sukhu said.
“This is about how democracy is being murdered and that is why we are protesting,” the CM said, adding that Rahul is a public leader who is popular from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
“He is the only leader who stood against the anti-people policies of the BJP,” Sukhu said.
The chief minister said the ideology of a party cannot be killed. “Rahul belongs to a party which believes in secularism and protecting the rights of people,” he added.
He said this “murder of democracy” will be the biggest issue in the 2024 elections.
