‘Centre must apologise’: Cong MP slams govt for demanding Rahul Gandhi's apology

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday hit out at the Centre as the BJP increased pressure in Parliament on Rahul Gandhi to apologise for allegedly insulting Indian Parliament and democracy during his speech in London.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday hit out at the Centre as the BJP increased pressure in Parliament on Rahul Gandhi to apologise for allegedly insulting Indian Parliament and democracy during his speech in London. Stating that the government “does not want to run the Parliament”, Chowdhury questioned, “has it ever been witnessed that all the members of a party in power create a ruckus to halt the Parliament?”

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (File image)

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“Why should Rahul Gandhi apologise? Instead, they (Centre) should apologise,” the MP told the news agency ANI.

The second leg of the Budget session of Parliament which began on Monday has been witnessing a massive uproar and sloganeering by both sides (BJP and Congress) over Rahul Gandhi's speech on foreign soil. On Tuesday, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm after opposition members caused an uproar over the government's demand for an apology.

Meanwhile, leader of the House and Union Minister Piyush Goyal alleged that Gandhi had insulted the Parliament, however did not specifically name him.

Earlier on Monday, Goyal demanded Gandhi's apology and said, “I raised a very serious matter this morning. A senior Congress leader went abroad and said democracy is in danger in India and sought the intervention of European countries and the US in India’s internal matters, its democracy. Such a person should be criticised in the House.”

During his address to the British parliamentarians in London recently, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the “functioning microphones of Opposition leaders in Parliament are often silenced.” He made several other allegations including on PM Modi, 'attack of democracy', and the China issue. In Cambridge, the Congress MP again alleged that the Opposition's voice was being stifled in Parliament.

(With inputs from ANI)