The Lok Sabha proceedings were repeatedly adjourned amid uproar by Opposition members over BJP member Anant Hegde's remarks on Mahatma Gandhi. (Photo Credit: File Photo)
New Delhi:
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed one of the shrillest showdowns in recent memory. From ‘Raavan ki aulad’ to defining who is the real ‘bhakt’ of Mahatma Gandhi, the lawmakers of both the Congress and the BJP were seen trading barbs. It all started with the Congress targeting BJP’s Anant Kumar Hegde for his alleged remark against Mahatma Gandhi. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from the Congress led the attack and in a controversial statement termed the BJP leaders as children of demon king Ravana. “Aaj ye Mahatma Gandhi ko gaali dete hain. Ye Ravan ke aulad hain. Ram ke pujari ka ye apmaan kar rahe hain. (Today, they are abusing Mahatama Gandhi. They are children of Ravan. They are insulting the worshipper of Lord Ram.),” Chowdhury said in the Lok Sbaha.
The BJP lawmakers were up in arms and hit back at the Congress for the controversial statement. Later, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi reacted to the Congress attack and said that, “we, people of Bharatiya Janata Party, are the real bhakts. We are the real followers of Mahatma Gandhi. These people (Congress leaders) are the followers of 'nakli' Gandhi like Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.”
The Lok Sabha proceedings were repeatedly adjourned amid uproar by Opposition members over BJP member Anant Hegde's remarks on Mahatma Gandhi.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde on Tuesday said all the media reports about his comments against Mahatma Gandhi are false. “All related media reports are false, I never said what is being debated over. It is an unnecessary controversy.” Hegde was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. In controversial comments, Hegde questioned the freedom movement led by Gandhi and described it as an "adjustment" with the British rulers.
"None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," news agency ANI quoted Hegde as saying.
"Britishers gave independence out of frustration. My blood boils when I read history. Such people become Mahatma in our country," Hegde added. Before the Lok Sabah faceoff, the Congress had demanded a sedition case against the former Union minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must apologise for it. The opposition party demanded that the prime minister must come to Parliament and clarify his position on Hegde's "objectionable" remarks, and asserted that it was time for Modi to prove whether his loyalty was towards Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse or the Father of the Nation.
