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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday hit out at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in connection with the alleged police action during the July 20 student protests, saying the Congress leader had "trapped himself very badly" and that he "feels sorry for him."
LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had earlier alleged that HM Shah was either "culpable or incompetent" over the alleged police action during protests, asserting that the Home Minister must explain his role in Parliament. Speaking to reporters on Rahul Gandhi's remarks made inside and outside the House, Rijiju said, "We are extremely upset with Rahul Gandhi for two reasons. Number one, as a Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi could not speak even on one point in the paper leak bill," Rijiju said. He further accused Rahul Gandhi of misleading the House by using "unparliamentary words" and making "wrong" allegations against the Home Minister. "Secondly, he misled by using unparliamentary words and also by wrongly accusing the Home Minister. The Home Minister or any other minister do not give an order for firing. These are not in the domain of the ministers. These are the orders to be passed by the magistrate or the SDM who are present at that particular place," Rijiju said. "How can he not know this basic thing? Rahul Gandhi has trapped himself very badly. I feel sorry for him," he added. Rijiju said that as Parliamentary Affairs Minister, he expected the Leader of Opposition to make substantive interventions during parliamentary proceedings. "As a parliamentary affairs minister, I always look forward to the leader of the opposition making some substantive intervention. But he failed it. So I am upset," he said. Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and National spokesperson Sambit Patra rejected Rahul Gandhi's claim that shots were fired at students during the July 20 protest, asserting that "no shots were fired" and "no one gave any such order". Addressing the press conference, Patra said that the Congress leader had made the allegations without any evidence or facts. "Rahul Gandhi had no evidence or facts; he lied. He claimed that shots were fired at students. I refute that. I want to clarify that no shots were fired," Patra said. He further rejected Rahul Gandhi's allegation that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had given an order for firing. "He alleged that Amit Shah gave the order; since no shots were fired, this claim is false. Whenever shots are fired, the decision is taken by a magistrate. No shots were fired, and no one gave any such order," the BJP leader said. Union Minister Jitendra Singh also took several digs at Rahul Gandhi during his reply to the debate on the anti-paper leak bill in Lok Sabha and asked if the Congress leader "is even aware of basic parliamentary norms" and alleged that he had used unparliamentary language. (ANI)
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