Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Participating in the debate on the Ram Temple resolution in parliament, the Opposition said while in “Ram Rajya” everyone was happy, the BJP’s chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram reflected “anger and hatred.”
"Your 'Jai Shri Ram' chant has anger and hatred. You cannot be a 'Ram Bhakt' if your heart is filled with hatred if you fire bullets at others or desecrate places of worship of other religions," deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said, urging the ruling party to shun the path of worshipping Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, in a sharp exchange with treasury benches, lamented that Muslims are being repeatedly asked to prove their patriotism.
“Am I the spokesperson of Babur, Jinnah or Aurangzeb? I respect Lord Ram but I hate Nathuram Godse who killed that person whose last words were Hey Ram,” Owaisi said.
Urging people to follow the principles of Lord Ram, Arvind Sawant from the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena said one should not backstab others to grab power.
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress’ deputy leader Pramod Tiwari averred that he respects the apex court order based on which the Ram Temple has been constructed.
“I’m a Hindu. I follow Sanatan. I have faith in Shri Ram. But I’m not one of those who politicise Lord Ram,” Tiwari added.
Most Oppn parties skip discussion
Barring Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena (UBT), other members of I.N.D.I.A bloc did not take part in the discussion on Ram temple in Parliament on Saturday, citing politicisation of a religious event for gaining electoral benefits.
In the Lok Sabha, Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Arvind Sawant and NCP (Sharad Pawar)’s Amol Kolhe spoke while in Rajya Sabha Congress’ Pramod Tiwari and Randeep Surjewala as well as Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi participated in the debate.
RSP MP NK Premachandran, who walked out from Lok Sabha, said, “This is not the forum to discuss a religious ceremony. Even if you want to discuss something, there are more important issues. This was a politically motivated event. It is meant to gain electoral benefits. We do not want to be part of that,” he said.
In a post on X, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale said, "Shocking. Today, the Modi government is diminishing and mocking Parliament again with this shocking item…Is this a topic of Parliamentary Discussion? What exactly is there in this to ‘discuss’? Parliament is now being used as an election platform by an increasingly desperate BJP and Modi."