New Delhi: The first day of Rahul Gandhi's return to Parliament after a 4-month absence from the House was marked by the BJP accusing the Congress of colluding with Chinese actors to undermine the Modi government, with the intention of dividing the country and fomenting anarchy.
Citing a report published in The New York Times, BJP's Nishikant Dubey slammed the Congress, alleging that the party had joined hands with anti-national players in 2016 during the Doklam crisis.
Dubey alleged that China had purportedly funded the Congress, the ‘tukde tukde gang’ and “some media” to oppose the Central government. He added that Congress leaders had met with Chinese officials in 2016 during the Doklam crisis to undermine the Narendra Modi administration. The BJP MPs rallied behind Dubey, enthusiastically supporting his claims.
As the Lok Sabha reconvened at noon, Rahul Gandhi entered alongside fellow Congress MPs, igniting the session with fervent slogans like "Bharat Jodo Bharat Jodo" and "Rahul Gandhi Zindabad Zindabad."
Efforts by Kirit Solanki, presiding over the session, to restore order proved futile, as the din intensified, eventually prompting another adjournment till 2 pm.
Following the break, Opposition MPs congregated around Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, expressing concern over Dubey's continuous microphone usage and discussing plans to address the Speaker regarding the removal of the allegations from the records.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury subsequently penned a letter to the Speaker, denouncing Dubey's statements as "libellous" and "defamatory." Chowdhury cited a violation of Rule 353 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha and demanded that Dubey's remarks be expunged from the records. He also called for an inquiry into the incident.
Rahul Gandhi’s reappearance comes after his disqualification as an MP in March due to a conviction in the Modi surname defamation case. The Supreme Court recently suspended his conviction, restoring his status as a Member of Parliament.