Rahul Gandhi should get a chance to speak in Parliament, says NC chief on row over Congress leader's remarks

Amid the Government-Opposition standoff in Parliament over Rahul Gandhi's remarks in London, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said that the Congress leader should be given an opportunity to speak in the House.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister stressed that democracy is about letting people speak.

"Rahul Gandhi said this and said that if he has said something wrong, then he should get a chance to speak in Parliament. When he speaks (in the parliament) and something wrong is seen then question him that is what democracy is all about," Abdullah said at a programme here.

The first week of the budget session's second half was disrupted following protests by both the treasury and the opposition.While the ruling BJP-led alliance has demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in London, the Opposition has been demanding a JPC probe into the Adani issue.

During his interactions in London, Rahul had alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions. The remarks triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP accusing Gandhi of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions, and the Congress citing previous instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising internal politics abroad.

Abdullah said that Parliament is for discussing the issues of the people.

"We cannot topple the government, but we can raise the issue and seek answers from the government, and some solution can be found," he said at a conference of Muslim leaders where Congress leader Salman Khurshid and party MLAs Rafeek Khan and Amin Kagzi were on the dais.

Apparently referring to the infighting in the Congress, he said that there is a need to unite leaders as then only the state would be saved.

"Look at the condition of Rajasthan. People lost their lives. When arrogance comes that nothing can happen without me, then the arrogance drowns a person.

"I request you also, try to unite the leaders, remove the distances, then only Rajasthan will survive, otherwise Rajasthan will not survive, it will drown," he said without naming any leader or party.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, who is Abdullah's son-in-law, have been involved in a power struggle since the Congress government was formed in December 2018.

The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said that India is a big country and there was no danger to it, but it was a testing time and once this phase is over "Bharat will become Bharat again".

He also said that Muslims should not see Hindus as their enemy because "the majority of Hindus are also feeling pain at heart at what is going on in the country".

"There are just a few people whose thinking is wrong," he said.

Abdullah said that there is a need to unite and push forward love, instead of hate. He alleged that attempts were being made to weaken the Constitution.

Khurshid alleged that misunderstanding is being spread among the people. "If Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians all live together in the country, then the country will be strong. If we fall apart, the country will fall apart," he said.

The event also saw a spat between BSP MP from UP Kunwar Danish Ali and some journalists who objected to his comments against the media.

The media persons walked out of the auditorium in protest during Ali's address but were persuaded by Khurshid to return to the programme.

However, they demanded an apology from the MP after which he again had a heated argument with the media persons who decided to boycott the remaining programme.