‘Not democracy, but dictatorship, Hitler-shahi in country,’ alleges Congress chief Kharge

PTI, Aug 1, 2023, 8:53 PM IST

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused the government of not allowing the opposition to speak in Parliament and of ”insulting” him by turning off his mike as he asserted that the INDIA coalition would not be intimidated and would defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Changing that the BJP government was trying to threaten and intimidate the opposition parties in Parliament, he alleged that there was ”dictatorship and Hitler-shahi” in the country instead of democracy.

Kharge said he was being insulted in Parliament and not being allowed to speak despite being the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha.

”There is no democracy, instead this government was resorting to dictatorship and Hitler-shahi,” he alleged.

No matter how much injustice the government does with the opposition, they will keep on fighting against the ruling dispensation and will defeat them in 2024, he said.

Referring to Rajya Sabha member Rajani Patil’s suspension in the last session, Kharge said even though she was suspended for one session, it is not being revoked at a time the next session is underway.

”What (kind of) democracy is this, this is dictatorship. I would say this is Hitler-shahi…. I feel sad with the manner in which Parliament is functioning,” he told reporters at the Vijay Chowk with several opposition leaders around him.

”They say that the country is moving forward, but they are the ones who is pushing the country behind,” he alleged.

Noting that he has a lot of parliamentary experience, the Congress leader said, ”We sit there to hear others, but no one is ready to listen to us and when we rise to say something, they oppose us and create din. They are not ready to listen to us.”

Claiming that his mike has been shut even when the chair allowed him to speak, he said, ”My mike is shut within 10 seconds. I feel they have insulted the opposition leader.” AAP MP Sanjay Singh raised a question following rules, but he was suspended, Kharge claimed.

”The government is doing such things and we will continue to fight them. INDIA parties will not be cowed down or afraid of the government. We will not run away and we will fight them and will defeat in 2024 polls,” Kharge asserted.

The Congress chief cited figures to claim that there have been seven occasions when the question hour and other businesses have been suspended and issues under Rule 267 have been taken up.

The opposition has been pushing for a discussion on the situation in ethnic strife-torn Manipur in Parliament under Rule 267, which entails taking up a discussion by setting aside all other listed businesses of the day.

Kharge said that on 10 occasions, time has been given after suspending the question hour to raise issue, and added that during the Manmohan Singh-led government, then BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu raised the issue of attacks on northeast people in different parts of the country. On August 17, 2012, the question hour was suspended by the chairman to discuss the matter.

Manmohan Singh participated in the discussion, he said.

”We have followed the precedents and even Atal Bihari Vajpayee had allowed issues to be raised after suspending question hour and other business of the house.

”Today we are being threatened and we are told that if we rise again, you will be given a lesson. The government is getting this done through the (Rajya Sabha) chairman,” he alleged.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, ”Those questioning the demand of INDIA parties for a statement by the Prime Minister on Manipur in the Rajya Sabha to be followed by a discussion should recall what had happened in May 2002 in the very same House.”

”Here’s the chronology of events – On May 6, 2002, the Rajya Sabha had a discussion on the following Motion moved four days earlier by Congress MP Shri Arjun Singh: ‘That this House expresses its deep sense of anguish on the persistence of violence in Gujarat for over six weeks, leading to the loss of a large number of persons, destruction of property worth crores of rupees and urges the Central Government to intervene effectively under Article 355 of the Constitution to protect the lives and properties of the citizens and to provide effective relief and rehabilitation to the victims of violence’.”

”At 12:04 pm that day, Dr. Manmohan Singh Leader of the Opposition spoke on the Motion. At 12:26 pm, Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke on the Motion. At 12:56 pm, Shri L.K. Advani Minister of Home Affairs spoke on the Motion. At 1:35 pm, Shri Arjun Singh replied to the debate. At 2:25 pm, the Motion was UNANIMOUSLY adopted,” Ramesh said on Twitter.

Kharge said a record number of 65 members of the Rajya Sabha had sought a discussion on Manipur under Rule 267 since it was not an ordinary incident.

The prime minister had all the time to campaign in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, but no time to speak on Manipur in Parliament, he charged.

Maintaining that the home minister cannot substitute for the prime minister, the Congress president said only the PM was in a better position to make a statement on an issue like Manipur and he should do so in Parliament.