New Delhi: “Those sitting inside bite, dogs don’t,” Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury said on Monday after she arrived in Parliament with a rescued stray in her car, triggering a row and prompting some BJP members to accuse her of indulging in drama.
The Rajya Sabha MP said she picked up the stray earlier in the day and was taking it to a veterinarian.
She also claimed that the government does not like animals and questioned the objections raised by the ruling party MPs, saying there was no law against rescuing a stray dog.
“This government does not like animals. Animals don’t have a voice. It (dog) was in the car, so what is their problem? It is so small, does it look like it will bite? Those sitting inside Parliament bite, not dogs,” she told reporters when asked about the dog in her car.
“Which law says that I can’t rescue a dog,” she asked.
Chowdhury, a self-confessed dog lover, has a few pets at home. Sources close to the MP said her driver was supposed to take the canine to a veterinarian after dropping her off at Parliament.
Hitting back at Chowdhury, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said she is right in saying that people inside Parliament bite and dogs don’t, as it is the opposition members who bite and create disorder and ‘hungama’ (chaos) inside the House.
“We are running the government under Narendra Modi’s leadership, and we are focused on ensuring development and taking care of every caste and religion and ensure the country’s development. It is those in the opposition who bite, those from her own party. Her remarks were not in good taste and she should not have brought the dog to Parliament,” Athawale said.
“You keep bringing ‘kutta’ (dog) here and we will continue to get ‘satta’ (power),” Athawale said.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal accused Chowdhury of indulging in a “tamasha” (theatrics) and violating protocol by bringing a dog to Parliament.
He argued that House members cannot bring anyone inside Parliament without proper documents, and demanded action against the Congress MP.
“You are not serious about debating issues… You are making a joke of Parliament with such ‘tamasha’. You are a member of the House and should raise issues of public importance instead of indulging in such drama,” Pal said.
“She should be taken to task by the chairman of the (Upper) House,” Pal added.
The BJP member also said that one cannot bring dogs or other animals inside the Parliament premises.
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