The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Why didn’t we get even a minute to intervene: Kharge
COUNTERING PRIME Minister Narendra Modi’s attack on the Congress in Rajya Sabha Wednesday, calling it “the biggest opponent of the Constitution”, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “the truth is BJP-RSS, Jan Sangh and their political forefathers had fiercely opposed the Constitution”.
During PM’S address on the Motion of Thanks on President’s address, the Opposition, led by the Congress, walked out after Kharge was not allowed to intervene during Modi's speech. They gathered at the gate of the old Parliament building, the Samvidhan Sadan.
Besides Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjunkharge,congresscpp chairperson and Rajya Sabha member Sonia Gandhi and P Chidambaram, AAP’S Sanjay Singh, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, DMK'S Tiruchi Siva, TMC’S Sagarikaghoseandsushmitadev, JMM’S Mahua Maji, RJD’S Manoj Jha and Shiv Sena-ubt's Priyanka Chaturvedi were also present.
Kharge claimed that during the address of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi and other ministers had interrupted.
“If what we have to say is not heard, then why should we hear… When Rahul Gandhi spoke, PM Narendra Modi got up twice to clarify. Four ministers clarified. When I spoke, attempts were made to interrupt. Today, why didn’t we get even a minute to intervene during the PM’S address,” said Kharge.
“I was raising my hand and the members of the INDIA bloc parties were standing to draw the attention of the Chairman (Jagdeep Dhankhar). I requested thepmmanytimes,buthetooignored it. All the lies he has spoken, I have it with me. They are experts in speaking lies,” Kharge said.
“The truth is,” he said, “Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had given the credit of drafting the Constitution to the Congress.” He quoted what was published in the RSS mouthpiece Organiser from November 30, 1949: “there is no mention of the unique constitutional developments in ancient Bharat”.
“They had opposed and rejected the Constitution and now, they are talking about protecting it. They have been anticonstitution since the beginning,” he said.
Indiaallyaapmemberinthe Rajyasabhasanjaysinghsaidthat the BJP “is tearing apart the Constitution by occupying the Parliament”andthat“itisrunning the House as per its whims”. “In Rajya Sabha, during Mallikarjun Khargeji’s speech, the BJP membersprotestedmanytimes.when I was addressing, the BJP began shouting. The opposition leaders were repeatedly stopped, but today the LOP was not allowed to speak even for a minute during the PM'S speech,” said Singh.