Six Congress MLAs in Rajasthan, including State party president Govind Singh Dotasra, were suspended for the remaining period of the Budget Session of the Assembly on Friday after they protested against a Minister’s remarks on former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Opposition members created an uproar with the demand for an apology and expunging of the remarks.
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot referred to Gandhi as “Aapki Daadi (your grandmother)” while replying to a question by a Congress legislator during the Question Hour. “In the last budget of 2023-24, you [Congress] named the scheme after your grandmother Indira Gandhi as always,” Mr. Gehlot said.
The infuriated Congress members, led by Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully, took strong exception to Mr. Gehlot’s jibe and trooped into the well of the House, pointing out that this was unparliamentary language warranting an apology. Speaker Vasudev Devnani adjourned the Assembly multiple times amid the pandemonium.
When the House reassembled in the afternoon, government Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg moved a motion seeking suspension of six Congress MLAs for their “indecent and condemnable conduct”. The motion was passed by voice vote and the Speaker adjourned the House till Monday. The Congress MLAs then sat in the well in protest.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel later said the Congress MLAs were heading towards the Speaker’s dais aggressively during the uproar and there was a possibility of an attack on Mr. Devnani. “The MLAs were suspended to avoid the situation of confrontation. The House could not be run in this manner,” he said.
Mr. Dotasra said Mr. Gehlot tried to provoke the Opposition by making objectionable remarks as part of the BJP’s strategy to disturb the House to avoid answering to difficult queries. Veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the ruling BJP was “intentionally provoking” the Opposition in the Assembly. “There was no reason for them to unnecessarily make a sarcastic comment about Indira Gandhi. Even after that, the situation could have been brought under control, but they did not do it,” he said.
“It seems the method of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is being adopted in the Rajasthan Assembly as well. Just like the MPs are suspended there to hide the ruling party’s failures, the same has been done here,” Mr. Gehlot said in a post on X. He said the indecent remarks made on the former PM who had sacrificed her life for the nation would not be tolerated.
The other suspended MLAs are Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Zakir Hussain Gesawat, Hakim Ali Khan, and Sanjay Kumar.
Published – February 22, 2025 01:06 am IST
