NEW DELHI: The marathon debate on the anti-paper leak bill in the Lok Sabha descended into utter chaos and disarray on Wednesday, as Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi hurled ‘idiot’ jibes, accused the RSS of interference in country’s education system and attacked Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police excesses in the national capital, including the use of pellet guns, during students’ stir.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), taking strong objection to his charge, mounted a sharp attack on the Congress MP over allegations that firing on protesting students was ordered by the Home Minister.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, leading the government’s response, strongly countered and questioned the basis of Gandhi's charges. He demanded that either the Congress MP present due evidence or apologise before the House.
“How can you say this? You are the LoP. On what basis are you saying this? Who told you this? What you said is very wrong,” said Rijiju, while urging the Speaker to expunge his remarks from the House proceedings.
Further ripping into Gandhi over alleging the Home Minister’s hand in firing, he asked, “How can you say that somebody ordered firing? You cannot make such claims without evidence.”
He demanded that Rahul Gandhi apologise on the floor of the House.
“Rahul Gandhi must apologise. This is a serious allegation; this is breach of his own position and privilege,” Rijiju said.
The showdown over Gandhi’s charges saw both the treasury and opposition benches engaging in slogan-shouting and noisy quarrels, with no side ready to relent.
The pandemonium and subsequent government-opposition confrontation erupted after Gandhi, speaking on students' protests and police crackdown in the Lower House while participating in the paper leak debate, claimed that the Home Minister authorised firing on the protesting students.
“The Home Minister authorised the shooting of our students. He put pellets into the blood of our students; he ordered the students of India to be shot," Gandhi said in Lok Sabha, triggering angry and loud protests from the treasury benches.
The ruling members demanded that the LoP apologise for making 'baseless' claims.
When Rijiju questioned the basis of the LoP’s claims, the latter replied that the crackdown on students can be “authorised by the Home Minister" only.
As the two sides engaged in verbal exchanges and the furore continued over Gandhi’s claims, the House was adjourned for half an hour by the Speaker.
