Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 5: The union minister for civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress calling it a party with “ideology of a traitor” and his former party hit back cautioning the BJP that the person who was not loyal to the party that nurtured his political career cannot be expected to remain loyal to the prime minister Narendra Modi for long.
In a sharp attack on his former party and his erstwhile close friend Rahul Gandhi, Scindia said the party had been left with no ideology except the one of a “traitor” which works against the country. The BJP leader attacked the Congress for according Rahul Gandhi a “special treatment” following his conviction in a defamation case and accused the party of pressuring the judiciary, and doing everything possible to stay relevant.
“This party has insulted backward classes, sought proof of our armed forces’ bravery and spoken about our soldiers being beaten up by China,” Scindia said, in a direct attack on Rahul Gandhi, who has been accused of making these remarks. “The Congress has been left with no ideology. This Congress has been now left with only one ideology which is of a traitor, an ideology which works against the country,” he told reporters.
Scindia was incidentally in the Congress for a long time and was considered a close associate of Rahul Gandhi. He quit the party and joined the BJP in 2020 following differences with its leadership, especially in his home state Madhya Pradesh, leading to the fall of the Kamal Nath-led government.
The minister said the Congress is projecting the “personal legal battle” of Rahul Gandhi as a fight for democracy. It is leaving no stone unturned to play with democracy and hitting new lows, he said, accusing the party of trying to pressure and intimidate the judiciary by taking its army of leaders and supporters to Surat when Gandhi filed appeal in a court there in a criminal defamation case.
Parliament is not being allowed to function and its leaders are wearing black clothes, he said, questioning the rationale as he noted that several other leaders have previously been disqualified as well. Is this the philosophy of “Gandhiwaad”, why so much is being done for one person, he asked. Some people are “first class citizens” for the Congress, Scindia said noting that a Congress leader had claimed that normal legal process should not be applied on the Gandhis.
Responding to Scindia’s scathing attack, the Congress said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi should “beware” of a man who did not stay loyal to his former party and will also “not be loyal” to him.
Slamming Scindia for his remarks, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, “When Mr. Scindia talks about doing things to stay politically relevant, I can think of his own example. To stay politically relevant he changed his party, he changed his friends, he changed his loyalties and he is giving us a lecture on how to stay politically relevant.” “As far as pressuring the judiciary is concerned, it is Mr Kiren Rijiju who keeps issuing threats to the judiciary, the RSS’ Panchjanya writes an article on how Supreme Court is becoming a tool of anti-nationals who is trying to pressure the judiciary. Who is saying retired judges are anti-nationals, Mr Kiren Rijiju is saying that. So ask Mr Scindia to advise his colleague not to pressure and threaten the judiciary,” Khera said in a video statement posted on his Twitter account.
Khera also hit out at Scindia for his dig at the Gandhis that some people are “first class citizens” for the Congress, saying a man who wants to be called a “Maharaj” in free independent India is talking about this. “He (Scindia) wants to be called and treated like a first class citizen. Ask him to read the history of his own empire,” Khera said.
“We would like to advice the prime minister, please beware of the man who despite attaining political heights under the Congress party did not stay loyal to the Congress party, he will not be loyal to you,” the Congress leader said. Khera dismissed Scindia’s allegations as “laughable”, asserting that the Congress’ fight is a fight to save democracy. “He (Scindia) will not understand this as he has gone to the BJP of late,” Khera said, attacking the BJP leader.
Meanwhile, amid a logjam over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on democracy, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday rejected Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s ‘point of order’ that there cannot be a discussion on Mr Gandhi, who was then a Lok Sabha MP, saying there can be no issue or individual beyond the purview of discussion in the Upper House.
The ruling BJP has, since the resumption of the Budget session of Parliament after a break, demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should come to Rajya Sabha and tender an apology for his “democracy in danger” remarks made in the UK recently. The Congress has, however, countered this saying someone who is not an MP of Rajya Sabha cannot be called to the House and there cannot be any discussion/reflection on or about an MP of Lok Sabha.
In his ruling, Dhankhar said “the authenticated record made available by the Leader of House Piyush Goyal bears out that his demand of apology on the overseas statements made by a senior leader of the Opposition is factually premised…” He gave his ruling on the objection that Kharge, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, raised through a point of order. However, Dhankhar neither explicitly referred to BJP’s demand that Gandhi should come to Rajya Sabha to apologise nor indicated if that was permissible.
“After bestowing earnest consideration on this momentous aspect, I am of the firm view that there can be no issue or individual beyond the purview of discussion in the Rajya Sabha and the same is exclusively subject to regulation by the House and the Chairman,” he ruled. He rejected precedents cited by Mr Kharge saying they had no bearing on the issue.