The Rajya Sabha was engulfed in chaos on Tuesday following an alleged unparliamentary remark by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge. He later apologised to the Chair while clarifying that his comments were directed at the government and not the Chair itself.
Amid the chaos over Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s comments about the Tamil Nadu government, Kharge stood up to speak and used the word “thokenge” to signal that the opposition would retaliate against the government.
When Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh pointed out that the Congress president had already been given an opportunity to speak earlier, Kharge responded that the education minister had not been present in the House at that time. “This is a dictatorship,” he remarked.
Kharge further stated, “Hum poori tayyari se aaye hain aur aapko kya kya thokna hai thik se thokenge, sarkar ko bhi thokenge” (We have come fully prepared, and we will hit back properly, including taking on the government).
Leader of the House JP Nadda quickly interjected, expressing strong disapproval of the language Kharge had used.
Kharge quickly apologised, clarifying that his remarks were not aimed at the Chair but at the government’s policies. “I am sorry, I was not speaking about you, it was about government policies. I am sorry if you were hurt by my remarks, I apologise to you,” he said.
Kharge also lashed out at the government, accusing it of hurting the self-respect of certain parts of the country. “You are hurting the self-respect of a part of this country and its people, and calling them uncultured and uncivilized… The minister should be asked to resign. They are talking about dividing and breaking the country,” Kharge said.
Nadda acknowledged Kharge’s apology to the Chair, but still condemned the remarks made against the government, asserting that such language was inappropriate.
Following the apology, the Chair called Digvijay Singh to initiate the debate on the Education Ministry. Singh began his speech, and the session continued amid the aftermath of the heated exchanges.
Here’s how the entire controversy kickstarted
The controversy began when Education Minister Pradhan, in his reply to a Lok Sabha discussion on the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, had referred to the Tamil Nadu government as “dishonest” and “uncivilized,” triggering protests from the DMK MPs and fueling tensions in the Rajya Sabha.
On Monday, Pradhan’s comments sparked protests from the DMK MPs, who wore black in opposition to the NEP and delimitation, as the House convened. On Tuesday, the tension escalated as Deputy Chairman Harivansh called Congress leader Digvijay Singh to initiate the discussion on the Education Ministry. The DMK MPs, still upset over Pradhan’s remarks, continued to demand an apology from the minister.
In the midst of the commotion, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge rose to intervene. Despite the Chair informing Kharge that Congress president had already been given the opportunity to speak earlier, Kharge continued, stating that Pradhan had not been present at that time. “This is a dictatorship,” Kharge remarked, further intensifying the debate.