New Delhi: Amid continuous protests by the Opposition against the ruling BJP, a war of words erupted between Congress MP Ravneet Bittu and Akali Dal parliamentarian Harsimrat Kaur Badal in the Parliament premises on Wednesday over the three contentious farm laws.
Both the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal were protesting at the Parliament House gate over the farm laws when Bittu and Badal got into an ugly spat. Calling Badal's protest a façade, Bittu said she was the central minister when the farm laws were passed, but she did not resent then. "You were part of the Cabinet that approved the farm bills and are today engaging in theatrics on the issue," Bittu said pointing fingers at Badal.
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In reply, the Akali Dal MP questioned why Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were not present in Parliament when the bills were passed. "Please ask them, where was Rahul Gandhi when all that was happening? This party (Congress) helped in the passage of bills by staging a walkout. They have to stop lying," she said. Bittu then traded barbs at Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal saying that the latter had been holding press conferences elsewhere but not coming to Parliament to raise the issue.
The spat between the two MPs comes at a time when the Opposition is portraying a united front against the BJP government over various issues, including farm laws. On Tuesday, 15 Opposition parties held a meeting to chalk out a strategy for the Parliament session. Leaders from the Akali Dal and the Congress have continuously been raising the issue of farm laws, both inside and outside the Parliament, by holding protests. The issue gains more relevance as the Assembly elections in Punjab are scheduled next year.
