NEW DELHI, Aug 10: Union Minister JP Nadda on Monday accused Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of deliberately obstructing parliamentary proceedings and misleading the public over issues surrounding recent protests and political controversies.
Nadda alleged that the House had remained disrupted for nearly two weeks because Gandhi was unwilling to participate in discussions despite the government agreeing to address concerns raised by the Opposition.
The BJP leader said the government had accepted Gandhi’s demand for a discussion on the NEET paper leak issue, but claimed the Congress leader subsequently shifted his focus to other matters.
According to Nadda, Gandhi had earlier sought a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the protest at Jantar Mantar. He said the government was prepared to respond to the demand, but Gandhi then raised allegations concerning the handling of donations linked to the Ram temple.
“Why are they running away from the discussion?” Nadda said, urging Gandhi to participate in proceedings rather than preventing the House from functioning.
Nadda maintained that the government was prepared to debate all issues raised by the Opposition within Parliament. He challenged Gandhi to attend the House and put his allegations before lawmakers.
The Union minister accused the Congress leader of adopting what he described as negative and irresponsible politics, saying the repeated disruptions were preventing Parliament from carrying out its legislative responsibilities.
“I vehemently condemn it,” Nadda said while criticising Gandhi’s approach to parliamentary proceedings.
He also rejected Gandhi’s alleged claims regarding the use of firearms during the student protesters’ march towards Parliament on July 20.
Nadda said no shots were fired at Jantar Mantar and asserted that authorities had not issued any order to open fire during the demonstration.
The BJP leader cautioned against what he termed misinformation and urged political leaders to avoid making unverified allegations that could mislead the public.
Nadda reiterated that the government was ready for a discussion on the issues raised by the Opposition and said Gandhi should use the parliamentary forum to present his concerns.
The remarks came amid continuing political confrontation between the ruling party and Opposition over the functioning of Parliament, with both sides trading accusations over disruptions and the handling of contentious issues.