Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a fresh attack on the government, saying it was the first time that it is feeling India’s expression.
His statement came hours after the Monsoon session, dominated by the Opposition, came to an end.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Lok Sabha LoP said that he does not sleep at night because of many obvious and unobvious reasons. Speaking at an event, he said, “Our job is very simple, and we can drive them crazy. I’m telling you, Narendra Modi does not sleep at night. There are different reasons. There is an obvious reason, and there are many hidden reasons too”.
The Congress MP also took a swipe at Home Minister Amit Shah over his absence from the House for the entire session except the last sitting. He said that the ‘so-called Chanakya disappeared because they are feeling India’s expression.
“You saw Amit Shah, the so-called-what was he called? Chanakya, what else? Sardar Patel. Where has he disappeared? He couldn’t come to the Parliament House for 20 days. Why? Because for the first time, they are feeling India’s expression,” Gandhi said.
He added that the government has realised that the country will not stop expressing itself.
‘They think foreign police means hugging’: Rahul Gandhi
Gandhi also criticised the Modi government’s approach to foreign policy, saying he did not understand the idea of diplomacy where personal relations and friendships are built with foreign leaders primarily.
“I don’t know where it came from; this idea got into their heads. I don’t know who put it there or where it came from, the idea that foreign policy means hugging politicians,” he said.
Monsoon Session ends, deadlock remains
Notably, the paper leak and assault on protestors during the July 20 march to Parliament had exerted pressure on the government.
The issue brought the government on the back foot, making Dharmendra Pradhan resign as the education minister.
The Congress picked the issue from the start of the session to corner the BJP-led NDA government, a strategy that materialised. However, both the Houses saw repeated disruptions.
After the government agreed to discuss the issue, a debate on the paper leak was held, and an anti-paper leak amendment law with stringent provisions was passed.
However, the Congress then raised a new demand, asking Home Minister Amit Shah to address the House on the July 20 crackdown on protesters.
The standoff continued for days, causing loss of public business in the Houses. Eventually, Amit Shah wrote a letter to Speaker Om Birla, urging him to hold a discussion for as long as he thinks.
Gandhi, however, rejected the offer and asked for a direct answer on who ordered the crackdown.