The Opposition in the Rajya Sabha continued to raise the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi not being present in the House. Derek O'Brien (Trinamool Congress) on Monday reiterated the Opposition's demand for a statement from the PM on the issue of conversions and hitting out at Mr. Modi for his absence from the House said the Prime Minister to come to Rajya Sabha doesn't need “a 56 inches chest” but a “4 inch heart”.
Parivar politics While the Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the Janata Parivar’s ``PM vaada nibhana’’ (PM, keep your promises) rally organised jointly by the Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal Secular) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, in New Delhi, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu was heard saying in Parliament House, ``We saw the parivar, where is the janata?’’
Mythology to score points
With the Opposition often being accused of ignoring Indian culture, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is increasingly using instances from Hindu mythology to counter the BJP benches to kill two birds with one stone. Commenting on the ``arrogance’’ of the Government in the Lok Sabha, he advised BJP members to mend their ways. ``If they go on telling like this, one day, Basmasura will come to them.’’ Not one to let the Opposition have the last word, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu shot back: ``Basmasura will come on unwise people; we are wise people. Nothing to worry.’’
Will he, won’t he
As Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia engaged in an animated conversation in the Lok Sabha, poring over a newspaper article on Hindutva, journalists covering the Lok Sabha thought the ``prince’’ was planning to speak on religious conversions as the party had given notice. However, in the middle of the din of Opposition demands for a statement from the Prime Minister, both Mr. Gandhi and Mr.
Scindia – who is also the Chief Whip of the Congress – left the House.
(By Smriti Kak Ramachandran, Gargi Parsai, Anita Joshua)
