Protestors Burn Rahul Gandhi's Effigy in Varanasi for His Hindu Remark in Lok Sabha | WATCH

Varanasi: Protestors, on Monday, burnt the effigies of Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi for his Hindu remark earlier in the day in the Lok Sabha.

Targeting the BJP, Gandhi asserted that Hinduism is not about spreading fear, hatred and falsehoods. His remarks came during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address to a joint sitting of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened during Gandhi's speech, stating that calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue. 

Gandhi retorted, saying "The BJP and the RSS are not the entire Hindu society". The Congress leader further emphasised that all religions talk about courage, citing Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism to underline the importance of fearlessness. He accused the BJP of launching systematic attacks on the Constitution and the fundamental idea of India, noting that millions of people have resisted the ideas proposed by the ruling party. "I was attacked on the orders of Prime Minister Modi. There were 20-plus cases (against me), (my) house was taken away, 55 hours of interrogation by the ED," Gandhi said. 

Despite these challenges, the MP from Rae Bareli expressed pride in the collective effort to protect the Constitution. "It feels nice that BJP people are now repeating 'Jai Samvidhan' after me," he said. Gandhi also expressed his contentment at being in the opposition. "I am happy and proud to be in the opposition. For us, there is something more than power, it is the truth," he said. 

During his speech, Gandhi showed a picture of Lord Shiva, which prompted Speaker Om Birla to remind him that rules do not allow displaying placards in the House. Gandhi reiterated that all religions, including Islam and Sikhism, emphasise courage and the importance of being fearless.

Rahul Gandhi Denigrated Position of LoP: Vaishnaw, Rijiju

Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Kiren Rijiju accused Gandhi of denigrating the responsible position of the Leader of Opposition with his "extremely irresponsible" speech in Lok Sabha in which he made "untruthful" claims about a host of issues, including Agnipath scheme and compensation to locals in Ayodhya. They also accused Gandhi of inflicting "grave insult" on the Hindus by allegedly linking them with violence and spreading untruth. BJP Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Congress has a history of insulting Hindus, as he cited former home ministers P Chidambaram and Sushil Kumar Shinde's alleged terrorism barbs for the religion. 

Gandhi, he said, took his oath as an MP this time not in the name of God but through solemn affirmation. "In 2014, he had taken oath in the name of 'Ishwar' in Hindi. What has changed since 2014?" he asked, noting that he was speaking about issues of religious faith in his speech on Monday. Rijiju said the ruling BJP has challenged many of the claims made by Gandhi in his speech in Lok Sabha and has sought action from the Speaker. 

Gandhi will have to substantiate or tender an apology, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, slamming the LoP's allegations on the Agnipath scheme and compensation for the residents of Ayodhya during development projects there. Over Rs 1,253 crore compensation was given to the local shopkeepers and others, and they were helped in relocation, Vaishnaw said. 

Rijiju noted that Home Minister Amit Shah also urged Speaker Birla in the House to verify the claims made by Gandhi as he cannot get away with making misleading assertions. Vaishnaw, the railway, IT and electronics, and information and broadcasting minister, said BJP leaders like former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj were the leaders of opposition at different points of time and brought responsibility and seriousness to the position. "Gandhi has always enjoyed power without responsibility. Now he holds a responsible position. But he made a most irresponsible speech today," he said, claiming that the Congress has always weakened the constitutional bodies.

(with PTI inputs)