New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday has said that there was no question of an apology from party MP Rahul Gandhi, who is being targeted by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including senior Cabinet ministers, in connection with remarks he had made in the United Kingdom last week, PTI reported.
At an event in London, Gandhi said that India was facing an attack on the basic structure of its democracy and a “full-scale assault” on the institutions of the country.
He also told British MPs that microphones of Opposition leaders were muted in Parliament and described the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a “fundamentalist” and “fascist” organisation. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is the parent organisation and the ideological backbone to a host of Hindutva groups including the ruling BJP.
His remarks have led to uproar in Parliament, with both Houses failing to carry out any significant proceedings on the first two days of the second leg of the Budget Session that started on Monday. On Wednesday too, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm amid demands of an apology from BJP MPs.
While BJP leaders and several senior ministers have accused Gandhi of defaming India on foreign soil, the Congress has countered by saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also raised internal politics during his visits to several countries.
On Wednesday, Kharge told reporters that Modi had humiliated the citizens of the country with his comments abroad.
“When Modi ji went to five-six countries…we were told by him that being born in India is a sin,” Kharge said. “Democracy is diminishing here, freedom of expression and speech are being weakened, TV channels are being pressured and people speaking the truth are being jailed, so if this is not the process of ending democracy then what is?”
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