‘PM Modi also…’: Ashok Gehlot on BJP's demand for apology from Rahul Gandhi over London speech

After the Parliament was adjourned again on Friday due to the impasse over BJP’s insistence on an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his London speech and the opposition’s call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe in the Adani-Hindenburg issue, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot asserted that discussions in both Houses should be held immediately.

Accusing the BJP of being the first party that has forced the Parliament to not function properly, Gehlot questioned the logic behind the demand for an apology from Gandhi. Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken against India in countries like Germany and Korea, the Congress leader told news agency ANI that the question over who should tender an apology is important.

“BJP is the first party that is stopping the parliament from functioning. Rahul Gandhi should apologise for what? PM Modi has said so many things against India in Germany & Korea. Who should apologise? The whole world can see,” the Rajasthan CM told ANI.

Also read: BJP questions Rahul Gandhi’s intent behind questioning India’s democracy abroad

Indirectly referring to the apparent muting of audio during the Lok Sabha proceedings on Friday as a sign of waning democracy, Gehlot said that the country is facing a serious threat of dictatorship.

“Parliament must start, and discussion must happen. The country has democracy and you closed the microphone in Lok Sabha? Today the way which the country is facing dictatorship, everywhere the situation is very serious,” he added.

Alleging that the Centre was trying to silence the opposition, the Congress shared a clip on Twitter which showed the Sansad TV audio in Lok Sabha muted for 20 minutes. The BJP blamed the incident on a technical glitch.

The second leg of the Budget session of Parliament which began on Monday has been beset with delays and adjournments as the opposition continued to spar with the Centre over Gandhi’s ‘democracy under attack’ comments at Cambridge University. While arriving in the Parliament on Thursday, Congress MP told ANI that he didn’t say anything anti-India.

The Adani row also continued to remain a key point of the stand-off in the Parliament as several opposition parties - including the Congress, the DMK, the AAP and some Left parties - led an unsuccessful protest march to the Enforcement Directorate's Delhi office on Wednesday to file a complaint against the Adani Group over the Hindenburg report.

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