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The Rajasthan Assembly witnessed an uproar on Friday after a BJP minister, in an apparent jibe at Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, referred to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as "aapki dadi" (your grandmother). Amid slogan-shouting and a demand for an apology by Congress MLAs, many of whom trooped into the well of the House, the Assembly was adjourned thrice and six Congress MLAs were suspended for the remainder of the Budget session.
While answering a question on hostels for working women, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot pointed to the members of the opposition and said, "In the 2023-24 budget also, like always, you named the scheme after your 'dadi'". Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully strongly objected to the minister's statement and asked whether he was referring to former PM Indira Gandhi. Mr Jully demanded that the statement be struck from the record as several Congress MLAs began sloganeering and heading towards the well.
Laxmangarh MLA and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara went towards the Assembly Secretary's table and demanded an apology from the minister. The marshals of the Assembly and Congress MLAs also came face to face even as the opposition's allegations were countered strongly by BJP MLAs and ministers.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel insisted that there was nothing unparliamentary about the word 'dadi'.
The House was initially adjourned for half an hour, then till 2 pm and again till 4 pm. When proceedings resumed, government chief whip Jogeshwar Garg said the opposition had crossed limits.
"The speed and intention with which they moved towards the chair and the incident of reaching close to the Speaker is definitely condemnable and not a pardonable crime. Therefore, I request that as a result of the indecent and condemnable conduct of the opposition members in the House, the following members should be suspended for the remaining period of the current budget session... Govind Singh Dotasara, Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Jakir Hussain, Hakim Ali and Sanjay Kumar," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The proposal was passed by a voice vote and Speaker Vasudev Devnani adjourned the house until Monday, after which Congress MLAs began a protest in the well of the Assembly.
Point, Counterpoint
Taking to X, Leader of the Opposition Jully said the minister had made "indecent" comments and the BJP's attitude was one of suppressing the voice of the opposition.
"Minister Shri Avinash Gehlot made indecent comments about respected leader Indira Gandhi ji, who sacrificed her life for the country, but our MLAs were suspended. This shows that the BJP only wants to work with a dictatorial attitude. Not allowing the Leader of Opposition to deliver his speech on the Governor's address and now suspending 6 MLAs, including the state (Congress) president, is the result of the BJP's thinking of suppressing the voice of the Opposition," he wrote in Hindi.
Similar comments were made by senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who said the Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP government in the state was trying to hide its failures.
In a post in Hindi, Mr Gehlot wrote, "First, a minister of the BJP government made an indecent comment on former Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi and then suspended the Congress MLAs from the House who protested against not apologising for it. This shows that the method in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is being adopted in the Rajasthan Assembly as well. Just like MPs are suspended there to hide their failures, the same has been done here."
"The government had no work to show in the last one year, so the Leader of opposition was not allowed to give a speech highlighting its failures during the address. Now our state president and MLAs from Dalit, backward, tribal and minority communities have been suspended from the Budget session. Is this not an attempt to divert attention from the discussion on the Budget," he asked.
Hitting back, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel accused the Congress of constantly disrupting the proceedings of the House. Accusing Mr Dotasara of trying to intimidate the Speaker, he said further action on the issue could be considered.