New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed uproarious scenes after Congress leader Anand Sharma slammed President Ram Nath Kovind’s inaugural speech, which failed to mention India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
According to reports, soon after the proceedings began in Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Anand Sharma objected to President Ram Nath Kovind’s speech, delivered in Parliament on July 25, in which he compared Mahatma Gandhi to BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
“Deen Dayal was never a freedom fighter nor had any role in the nation building. The BJP has every right to remember him, but he cannot be equated to Mahatma Gandhi,” Sharma said in Rajya Sabha.
The Congress leader further alleged that Narendra Modi government is using Upadhyay’s name in its advertisements, but it shouldn’t be done.
Sharma also questioned why Kovind did not name India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi in his speech.
“It is disrespecting that he didn’t take the name of Nehru. He was a freedom fighter of the country, also the first PM,” he said.
“Every country and society respects nation builders, so has been the culture in India. Like Gandhi is respected and has the highest stature in the nation. Along with him was Jawaharlal Nehru who even went to jail,” Sharma said in the Rajya Sabha.
Sharma was joined by fellow Congressman and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad in expressing their party’s disappointment at Kovind’s speech.
“He (Kovind) mentioned two of the then ministers (Patel and Ambedkar) in his speech, but failed to mention the name of Nehru. He is not the President of BJP, but now the President of the country,” Azad said.
This led to a huge showdown between Finance Minister and Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Congress MP Anand Sharma over latter’s criticism of President’s speech.
A furious Arun Jaitley slammed the Opposition for their politics over the President’s speech and demanded that Sharma’s speech be expunged from the records of the Rajya Sabha.
“How can a member raise questions about the speech of President in the name of point of order?” Jaitley asked.
As the ruckus continued, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned briefly.
Bureau Report
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