Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that the PM doesn’t wish to speak on the Manipur issue in Parliament but can deliver political speech in Rajasthan. The Prime Minister addressed a public meeting in Sikar district of Rajasthan, state which goes to polls later this year.
Talking to the media outside the Parliament, Kharge said, “People have woken up, and they will continue to fight… You (PM Modi) don’t want to speak in Parliament, which is the temple of democracy, but can inaugurate a medical college in Rajasthan and speak politics there?”
He also said the country has not seen a “darker period than this” in the history of Parliament.
Kharge also said that the people have now become aware and will fight “this kind of politics”.
“The Parliament session is going on and instead of speaking on the floor, the prime minister is making speeches here and there and by doing so he is tarnishing democracy. The misdeeds of the Modi government cannot be erased by calling names to the opposition parties,” the Congress president said.
Both the Houses of Parliament on Thursday witnessed stormy scenes with Opposition MPs resorting to sloganeering, demanding a discussion on the Manipur issue. The Opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc, as a mark of protest against the government over the Manipur issue, were dressed in black today.
Further, the Opposition members led by Congress MPs walked out of Rajya Sabha proceedings over their demand for a discussion on the Manipur situation.
When Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was given the floor by Deputy Chairman Harivansh, members of the treasury benches started shouting.
Kharge said he wanted to speak on a Bill, moved by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurah Thakur, as well as “dil ki baat” and tried to bring up the Manipur issue which was disallowed by the deputy chairman, saying he should restrict himself to speaking on the bill as per rules of the House, leading to Opposition members walking out of the House even as the discussion on the Bill continued.
Meanwhile, Kharge also hit out at the BJP for not allowing him to speak inside Parliament and for jeering at opposition members for wearing black clothes as a mark of protest and for not allowing them to raise the Manipur issue in Parliament.
“Only those having a mindset against Dalits, tribals and backward people can make fun of black clothes, but for us black is a symbol of protest and strength. Black colour is a symbol of justice and a symbol of dignity. The people of Manipur deserve justice, peace and respect,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.