Opposition MPs staged a walkout during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, alleging that the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, was not allowed to speak.
Denouncing their conduct, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the opposition had “insulted the oath of the Constitution they took.”
“The opposition members have challenged the Constitution, outraged the spirit of the Constitution, and disregarded the oath they took,” Dhankhar said. “Khargeji insulted the oath of office by walking out. They (opposition MPs) have made a mockery of the Constitution. I hope they will introspect.”
Dhankhar asserted that the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruptions.
“I urged them that the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruptions. Today, they did not leave the House; they left behind their dignity. Today, they did not show me their back; they showed it to the Constitution of India. They did not insult me or you; they insulted the oath of the Constitution that they took,” he said.
“There can be no bigger insult to the Constitution of India than this. I condemn their conduct. It is an occasion where they have challenged the Indian Constitution. They outraged the spirit of the Indian Constitution; they disregarded the oath they had undertaken. The Indian Constitution is not something to hold in your hands; it is the book to way of life. I hope that they will self-introspect and walk that path of duty,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also targeted the opposition MPs, saying they did not have the courage to hear the “truth.”
“The country is watching that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not dare to face the truth, do not dare to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the Upper House,” PM Modi said.
(With ANI input)