New Delhi, Mar 17: Amid chaos in the parliament, leading to adjournment of both houses for the second consecutive day, sources in the BJP today said they won't let Congress MP Rahul Gandhi speak in the house unless he apologises for his remarks on Indian democracy in London.
Both houses of the parliament were adjourned again today amid loud sloganeering from the BJP, which is demanding Congress MP Rahul Gandhi apologise for his remarks at Cambridge University, and opposition parties demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani-Hindenberg row. Audio of the proceedings were muted while chaos ensued inside the parliament. Congress, repeating Rahul Gandhi's charge that microphones of opposition leaders were muted in the parliament, took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Earlier, the mic used to be turned off, today even the proceedings of the House were muted. The house is mute for PM Modi's friend," the grand-old-party tweeted in Hindi.
Rahul Gandhi was seen in the Lok Sabha for the second time today since the row erupted over his comments, but the house was adjourned till next week before any business could be done. Mr Gandhi has said he wants to respond to allegations against him inside the house, but the BJP is adamant that he apologises first.
Calling Mr Gandhi's remark "egregious and gravely offensive", BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Mr Gandhi should apologise outside before seeking recourse in the parliament.
"It is sad that the EGO on 1 Parivar is above INSTITUTION OF PARLIAMENT (sic)? Rahul has made an egregious & gravely offensive remark against our sovereignty by demanding foreign intervention on foreign soil If he is serious about Parliament he should have apologised immediately outside before seeking recourse in Parliament. You cannot undermine Parliament & then seek its recourse Pehle Maafi Maango Desh se (first apologise to the nation)," he tweeted.
Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, referring to Rahul Gandhi's "unfortunately, I am Member Of Parliament" slip-up yesterday, said he is truly an unfortunate MP because he is defaming the same parliament that he is a part of. He also demanded an unconditional apology from him.
"He does not know that the House is run by procedures, and policies. I had also brought the booklet of rules for him. If he attended the parliament, he would understand. He does not read, and rarely comes to the parliament. Telling one lie after another has become his habit. You lied, and tried to show that you are bigger than the parliament, bigger than the country. He should apologise unconditionally," Mr Thakur said.
Several BJP ministers have slammed Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of spreading lies and maligning India's image abroad. While Law minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the Congress leader was speaking the language of "anti-India forces", BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has called for the formation of a special committee to look into Mr Gandhi's statements, which, he said, should help end Mr Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership.
BJP National President JP Nadda on Friday said that Rahul Gandhi has become a permanent part of the "anti-nationalist toolkit".
"It's unfortunate that the Congress party is indulging in anti-national activities. After being repeatedly rejected by the nation, Rahul Gandhi has now become a permanent part of this anti-nationalist toolkit," Mr Nadda told news agency ANI. He also asked what Mr Gandhi's intention was when he "demand the intervention of another country in the internal matters of India".
During an event in the UK, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.
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