'Most degrading behaviour': Rijiju shares video showing Feb 4 Lok Sabha chaos that cancelled PM Modi's speech
Congress Party is proud of the most degrading behaviour by their MPs !! If we had not stopped all BJP MPs and allowed the women MPs to confront Cong. MPs, it would have led to very ugly scene, Kiren Rijiju said while sharing a clip of events in Lok Sabha on February 4.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday shared a video recorded inside the Lok Sabha on February 4, showing women Congress MPs standing near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seat just minutes before his scheduled speech. The House was abruptly adjourned that day.
Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had said he advised Prime Minister Modi not to attend the session after receiving information that Opposition MPs were planning to target him.
Rijiju targets Congress with Lok Sabha video
"Congress Party is proud of the most degrading behaviour by their MPs !! If we had not stopped all BJP MPs and allowed the women MPs to confront Cong. MPs, it would have led to very ugly scene. We have very high consideration, to protect the dignity & sanctity of the Parliament,” Rijiju tweeted.
"Who can justify such behaviors from the Honb'le MPs? The direction from our leadership was very clear that we must maintain the dignity of the house and no BJP MP should get into physical confrontation with the rude opposition MPs," he wrote.
Lok Sabha Chaos that cancelled PM Modi's speech
The video shows women Congress MPs assembled near the Prime Minister’s seat, holding a large banner that read, “Jo uchit samjho, wahin caro (Do what you think is best).” They are seen remaining in place and refusing to move despite requests from Rijiju and Giriraj Singh, who are shown appealing to them with folded hands.
The banner text referred to a line from a magazine article based on former Army chief General (Retd.) MM Naravane’s unpublished book, Four Stars of Destiny. The memoir, which was cited by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during a brief speech in Parliament last week, triggered a major political controversy.
When Om Birla’s advice to the Prime Minister became public on February 4, details of what had transpired inside the House were unclear. Even after the release of Rijiju’s video, it remains unknown what the Congress MPs intended to do.
Earlier, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari had claimed that several Opposition women MPs entered the Well of the House and moved towards the Prime Minister’s chair, escalating the situation to the point that Modi could not enter the chamber.
BJP women MPs have since written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to take the strongest possible action against the Opposition MPs. They alleged that the Opposition committed “heinous acts” within the precincts of the House and “brought disrepute to our democratic institutions”.
Congress counters BJP claims
Responding to the allegations, Congress MP Manickam Tagore criticised the BJP and said the video only shows women parliamentarians gathered near Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Kiren Rijiju, and not around the Prime Minister’s seat.
Also read: Congress submits no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, TMC backs out