BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury’s ‘biters’ remark as an attempt to undermine Parliament. Chowdhury defended her actions, stating she rescued a dog and attacked the BJP for its misplaced priorities.
BJP Accuses Congress of Undermining Parliament’s Dignity
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday criticised Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury’s comments about parliament and parliamentarians, calling them an attempt to undermine the dignity of the Indian Parliament. Trivedi referenced Chowdhury’s earlier actions, including bringing a dog into her car and her reaction to a journalist’s question. He alleged that Chowdhury’s behaviour, including her comments and laughter, demonstrated a pattern of disrespect towards constitutional institutions. “…Prominent Congress MP, well-known and infamous for her loud laughter. The way she acted, first bringing a dog in her car and then dramatically presenting her sympathy for the dog, is understandable… The way she barked when a journalist asked her today, and what she said yesterday… This means calling the entire Parliament, its MPs, ‘biters,’ and associating ‘biting’ with dogs, demonstrates that the Congress party has become a well-planned campaign to undermine the dignity of the entire Parliament…,” said Trivedi.
BJP MP Trivedi accused the Congress party of undermining the dignity of the Indian Parliament, alleging that their actions and comments are part of a larger campaign to disrespect constitutional institutions. Trivedi referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s characterisation of the Congress as the “Muslim League Maowadi Congress,” implying that the party is adopting ideologies that promote hatred towards Hinduism and disregard the constitutional systems. “We want to ask, why is the Congress party engaged in this campaign to tarnish the dignity of the Indian Parliament? Is this what the Prime Minister said is true, that the Congress is becoming the ‘Muslim League Maowadi Congress’?… It demonstrates that, similar to the urban Naxalite mindset, the undermining of all constitutional operators–disrespecting and disregarding all constitutional systems and institutions, which is a Maoist agenda–and spreading hatred towards Hinduism, which is a Muslim League agenda, I believe the Congress has now gone too far on this issue,” he added.
The controversy stems from Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury’s comments comparing parliamentarians to “biters” and referencing dogs, which the BJP deemed disrespectful. Chowdhury had brought a stray dog into the Parliament complex, sparking protests. Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, have countered that the government is stifling opposition voices and ignoring pressing issues like unemployment and economic inequality. They accuse the government of using parliamentary procedures to suppress dissent.
Renuka Chowdhury Hits Back at BJP
As Renuka Chowdhury is likely to face a breach of parliamentary privilege motion for her remarks, she launched an attack against Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, asking him to look at the BJP before distributing “character certificates.” Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Renuka Chowdhury said that she bringing a dog to the Parliament has “rattled” the Centre more than Booth Level Officers (BLOs) dying by suicide, new Labour Codes or the Sanchar Saathi app. She said, “People are dying because of pollution, and no one is worried about it. BLOs are committing suicide, their families are getting destroyed, and they are not worried about them. Labour laws are being forced upon us. The Sanchar Saathi app is being forced upon us. But Renuka Chowdhury’s dog has rattled everyone. What can I say now? I will continue to take care of animals.”
‘Look within your party first’
Further, she said that no law prohibits dogs from entering the Parliament premises. “There is no law which prohibits dogs from entering the Parliament premises. Even Atal Bihar Vajpayee once came on a bullock cart… Dogs are so loyal, but what do these people know about loyalty? Is Kiren Rijiju giving us a character certificate now? Look within your party first. Your ministers run their cars over farmers and kill them. Rijiju ji should work on his party before giving us a character certificate,” she added.
When asked about the MP bringing in the privilege motion against her, Chowdhury said, “How am I supposed to know? If they have that much time, then let them do what they want. Why would I worry?”
Chowdhury Explains Rescuing the Puppy
This comes after Renuka Chaudhary brought a dog, which she claimed to be a stray, into Parliament premises on Monday, dismissing any objections by other MPs, and claiming that the “real dogs are sitting in Parliament” and biting people every day. Chaudhary explained that she rescued the puppy while on her way to Parliament. She witnessed a scooter-car collision and noticed the puppy wandering near the road. To ensure the dog did not get hurt, she brought it along in her car. The dog remained inside the vehicle only and left shortly after the car dropped off the Congress MP. “Is there any law? I was on my way. A scooter collided with a car. This little puppy was wandering on the road. I thought it would get hit by the wheel. So I picked it up, put it in the car, came to Parliament, and sent it back. The car left, and so did the dog. So what’s the point of this discussion?” Chaudhary told ANI here.
(ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)