New Delhi: Asserting that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was a major factor in uniting the opposition parties, the Trinamool Congres (TMC) on Monday clarified that his (Rahul Gandhi's) absence will not hamper the unity of the opposition whether it's inside or outside the Parliament.
"Such incidents (disqualification of lawmakers) happened earlier also. Opposition unity depends on various factors. Although Rahul Gandhi was a major factor in uniting the opposition, his absence will not hamper the unity," said TMC MP Jawahar Sircar in an exclusive interview to ETV Bharat here in New Delhi.
Coming down heavily over the central government, Sircar said that they (The government) have decided from day one not to allow the House to run. "It's for the first time in Indian history that the ruling party is disrupting the House. They are not at all interested to discuss any issue in the House," said the TMC MP.
Echoing the same view, K Keshava Rao, MP from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (TRS) said that the opposition is united even in the absence of Rahul Gandhi. "We have differences with Congress, However, when the democracy is threatened, we have come here with the entire opposition," said Rao.
Referring to the disqualification issue of Rahul Gandhi, Rao said that his (Gandhi's) disqualification is not acceptable. "Modi is not a caste...If I criticize Modi, it does not mean that I have criticized any caste," said Rao.
Comparing the attitude of the ruling party with fascist policy, Rao said, " in democracy, everyone has the right to speak. But the BJP government has adopted a fascist policy where they are determined to ruin the entire opposition and not allow them to speak," said Rao.
Lashing out at the Centre over Rahul's disqualification from Lok Sabha, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said that "it's ridiculous to note that Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified on a very lame excuse...All the opposition parties are united to protest against this autocratic rule of the central government led by BJP."
Asserting that the opposition parties will keep grilling the government, Chowdhary said that in the next few days, the opposition parties will sit together to discuss their strategies.
Also Read: Disqualified as MP, Rahul Gandhi asked to vacate official bungalow by April 22
Senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik reiterated that for the last several weeks, the world as well as the entire nation has witnessed that the Parliamentary democracy in India has been strangulated. "Opposition is not allowed to speak. Rahul Gandhi wanted to speak on the Adani issue and the next day his speech was expunged. Similarly, the speech of the opposition leaders in the Rajya Sabha has also been expunged... it clearly shows that India is currently facing the biggest challenge of Parliamentary democracy," said Wasnik.
The left leaders also echoed the same. "The way, Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified in a lighting speed following a Surat court verdict, it's a black chapter in Indian democracy," said CPI(M) MP John Brettas.
Continuing their protest against the disqualification of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as well as demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe over the Hindenburg-Adani controversy, the opposition MPs attired in black dress organized a foot march from Parliament to Vijay Chowk on Monday.
MPs from almost all opposition parties including Congress, TMC, Left Parties, BRS, AAP, and others also staged a sit-in demonstration at Vijay Chowk. The TMC's participation in the opposition rally led by Congress assumes significance following the fact that the West Bengal-based party has earlier been skipping the opposition protest and choose to "organize their own protest."
