New Delhi: Congress MPs on Wednesday wrote to the Lok Sabha speaker demanding the restoration of the expunged words from Rahul Gandhi’s speech in the Lok Sabha during the no confidence motion debate.
“Your decision to expunge the word ‘murder’ in the phrase “murder of Bharat Mata”, is inexplicable since its use was clearly in context, metaphorical. The expression ‘murder of democracy’ is equivalent to alleging that the democracy has been extinguished and the “murder of Bharat Mata” is a means of making the point that the sacrosant idea of India has ben annihilated by the government”, said the Congress in the letter to speaker Om Birla.
The Congress further requested that the expunged words from Gandhi’s speech be restored.
“We request that the expunged words fom Rahul Gandhi’s speech are restored to the record forthwith so that the totality of his speech can be accurately reported and understood”, said the grand old party in the letter.
Notably, Congress leader Gandhi on Wednesday, took potshots at Bharatiya Janata Party in Lok Sabha during the debate on the no-confidence motion.
Rahul Gandhi, who was the first speaker as the no-confidence motion debate resumed on Wednesday, also took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Referring to BJP which is in power both at the Centre and in Manipur, he said, “you killed Bharat Mata in Manipur”.
The Congress leader referred to his visit to Manipur and his meetings with victims of violence in the state and said ‘Bharat’ is voice of people of the country and that “voice was killed in Manipur”.
Meanwhile, reacting to parts of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s speech being “expunged” in Lok Sabha yesterday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said that “Sansad TV is not under Speaker’s and BJP government’s control”, therefore, he and his party is not aware of it.
While speaking to the reporters, Pralhad Joshi said,” Sansad TV is not under Speaker’s control and not even under our control. So we don’t know what happened. If anything unparliamentary is said it is expunged and it has been an old practice. This is nothing new.”
However, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said that he discussed the issue with Lok Sabha speaker Birla and was assured that the list of ‘unparliamentary’ words would be reconsidered.
Significantly, there are some words including ‘deshdrohi’ (traitor), ‘tanashah’ (dictator), etc are deemed ‘unparliamentary’ and its usage is barred in both of the houses.
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