New Delhi:
Democracy has been murdered in Maharashtra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha on Monday. He made these remarks during Question Hour when Speaker Om Birla told him to ask a supplementary. “There is no question of asking question (in Question Hour) today. Democracy has been murdered in Maharashtra,” he said. In a dramatic turn of events in Maharashtra, President's Rule was lifted on Saturday morning, following which Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister, respectively, by the governor.
The development came hours after the new alliance of Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress arrived at a consensus that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will be their chief ministerial candidate.
Rahul Gandhi’s comments came hours after his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP of repeating the “game” it played in Karnataka. “TV is showing that the BJP is disregarding institutions and Constitution in Maharashtra to repeat the game it played in Karnataka,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. The Congress general secretary said, “12,000 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra. For them, no help came from the BJP government’s pocket.”
“Have we reached the stage of open kidnapping of the mandate?” she said.
Speaker Om Birla ordered the removal of two Congress members Hibi Eden and T N Prathapan- who were holding a big banner with ‘stop murder of democracy slogan - by marshals. Intense protests by Congress members resisting their removal prompted the Speaker to adjourn the House till noon.
