New Delhi, BJP MP Dilip Saikia on Tuesday termed the opposition's claims of threat to the Constitution and collapse of law and order as baseless and sought an apology from opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for the emergency and also for his "criticism" of Hinduism.
The discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's speech saw intense exchanges and pointed criticism from various members, focusing on issues ranging from constitutional integrity to regional concerns.
Saikia, elected from Darrang-Udalguri constituency in Assam, addressed allegations against the BJP government by the opposition, arguing that claims of endangering the Constitution and law and order were "baseless". He called Rahul Gandhi to apologize for three specific issues: "criticizing" Indian culture, Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma, the emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, who according to him trampled democracy, and the alleged lack of internal democracy within the Congress, making reference to the appointment of Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister in place of Sardar Patel.
"Hindustan ka virodh karna unki aadat ban gaye hai, desh viksit bane wo hazam nahi hota," Saikia said, alleging that opposing India's progress has become a habit for the Congress.
He further defended the BJP's record in Manipur and the northeast, stating that the Modi government integrated these regions through infrastructure projects such as railways and internet connectivity. In his speech, Samajwadi Party MP Laalji Verma alleged: "If the machinery had not been misused and if alcohol and money had not been openly distributed, we would have won 20 more seats in Uttar Pradesh."
"They have absolutely not fulfilled the promises made in 2014. What happened to the promises to reduce inflation and create jobs? Instead, they have guaranteed unemployment and inflation. The BJP has worked to undermine reserves, privatizing to ensure that certain groups do not benefit, and did not provide a legal guarantee for MSP," he added.
Harsimrat Kaur, the only Akali Dal MP in the Lok Sabha, emphasized her party's neutrality, neither aligning herself with the opposition nor the government. She expressed concern about Punjab, calling for it to be recognized as a key agricultural state and urging that stop labeling him as prone to terrorism.
She also called for reopening of the Atari border to boost trade and questioned why trade could be facilitated through Gujarat but not through Punjab.
"Drug epidemic chal raha hai Punjab mein," she lamented, highlighting the serious impact of drugs on the youth. Kaur criticized both the Congress and the BJP for not addressing this issue despite promises. She also called for more peaceful and secure border areas to encourage industrial growth and stressed the importance of refraining from interfering in religious affairs.
BJP member Saumitra Khan said the Trinamool Congress was seeking the Prime Minister's respect in Parliament, but in West Bengal opposition legislators were ignored.
"The West Bengal chief minister does not call meetings of any opposition MLAs," said Khan, a Lok Sabha member from Bishnupur. Khan alleged that women were not respected in West Bengal and Trinamool Congress leaders beat them up and made parade through the streets.
NCP member Sunil Tatkare said it was ironic that the Trinamool Congress and the DMK were joining hands with the Congress, a party that had mistreated its leaders.
"Mamata Banerjee had to leave the Congress due to Congress' highhandedness. And now you have joined them," said Tatkare, a Lok Sabha member from Raigad. Tatkare said DMK members A Raja and Kanimozhi had to go to jail due to the cases filed against him during the UPA government.
BJP MP Ajay Bhatt called for maintaining decorum in the discussions and recalled the constitutional preservation efforts during the Emergency.
He criticized the opposition's language and accused it of trying to please others by insulting Hinduism. "Aap Hindu ko gaali de kar kisko khush karna chahte hai (Who do you want to please by abusing Hindus)?" he asked.
Bhatt also took issue with the opposition's tactics, calling them "hit and run" and drew parallels between his questions and those raised by Pakistan.
BJP MP P P Choudhary hailed the government's achievements over the last decade and highlighted reforms that have transformed the economy. He criticized those who label Hindu society as violent and apologized for misinformation about the Agnipath scheme.
Choudhary also attacked the Congress for its actions during the Emergency, accusing it of making unconstitutional changes and treating BR Ambedkar unfairly. "You talk about Dalits, but it sounds like a joke," he said.
The discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's speech saw intense exchanges and pointed criticism from various members, focusing on issues ranging from constitutional integrity to regional concerns.
Saikia, elected from Darrang-Udalguri constituency in Assam, addressed allegations against the BJP government by the opposition, arguing that claims of endangering the Constitution and law and order were "baseless". He called Rahul Gandhi to apologize for three specific issues: "criticizing" Indian culture, Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma, the emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, who according to him trampled democracy, and the alleged lack of internal democracy within the Congress, making reference to the appointment of Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister in place of Sardar Patel.
"Hindustan ka virodh karna unki aadat ban gaye hai, desh viksit bane wo hazam nahi hota," Saikia said, alleging that opposing India's progress has become a habit for the Congress.
He further defended the BJP's record in Manipur and the northeast, stating that the Modi government integrated these regions through infrastructure projects such as railways and internet connectivity. In his speech, Samajwadi Party MP Laalji Verma alleged: "If the machinery had not been misused and if alcohol and money had not been openly distributed, we would have won 20 more seats in Uttar Pradesh."
"They have absolutely not fulfilled the promises made in 2014. What happened to the promises to reduce inflation and create jobs? Instead, they have guaranteed unemployment and inflation. The BJP has worked to undermine reserves, privatizing to ensure that certain groups do not benefit, and did not provide a legal guarantee for MSP," he added.
Harsimrat Kaur, the only Akali Dal MP in the Lok Sabha, emphasized her party's neutrality, neither aligning herself with the opposition nor the government. She expressed concern about Punjab, calling for it to be recognized as a key agricultural state and urging that stop labeling him as prone to terrorism.
She also called for reopening of the Atari border to boost trade and questioned why trade could be facilitated through Gujarat but not through Punjab.
"Drug epidemic chal raha hai Punjab mein," she lamented, highlighting the serious impact of drugs on the youth. Kaur criticized both the Congress and the BJP for not addressing this issue despite promises. She also called for more peaceful and secure border areas to encourage industrial growth and stressed the importance of refraining from interfering in religious affairs.
BJP member Saumitra Khan said the Trinamool Congress was seeking the Prime Minister's respect in Parliament, but in West Bengal opposition legislators were ignored.
"The West Bengal chief minister does not call meetings of any opposition MLAs," said Khan, a Lok Sabha member from Bishnupur. Khan alleged that women were not respected in West Bengal and Trinamool Congress leaders beat them up and made parade through the streets.
NCP member Sunil Tatkare said it was ironic that the Trinamool Congress and the DMK were joining hands with the Congress, a party that had mistreated its leaders.
"Mamata Banerjee had to leave the Congress due to Congress' highhandedness. And now you have joined them," said Tatkare, a Lok Sabha member from Raigad. Tatkare said DMK members A Raja and Kanimozhi had to go to jail due to the cases filed against him during the UPA government.
BJP MP Ajay Bhatt called for maintaining decorum in the discussions and recalled the constitutional preservation efforts during the Emergency.
He criticized the opposition's language and accused it of trying to please others by insulting Hinduism. "Aap Hindu ko gaali de kar kisko khush karna chahte hai (Who do you want to please by abusing Hindus)?" he asked.
Bhatt also took issue with the opposition's tactics, calling them "hit and run" and drew parallels between his questions and those raised by Pakistan.
BJP MP P P Choudhary hailed the government's achievements over the last decade and highlighted reforms that have transformed the economy. He criticized those who label Hindu society as violent and apologized for misinformation about the Agnipath scheme.
Choudhary also attacked the Congress for its actions during the Emergency, accusing it of making unconstitutional changes and treating BR Ambedkar unfairly. "You talk about Dalits, but it sounds like a joke," he said.
