Women reservation debate: Rahul’s ‘magician’ barb creates storm, invites BJP ire

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi’s ‘magician’ barb, purportedly aimed at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while countering Union government’s defence of the three contentious Bills created a political furore in the Lower House of Parliament on Friday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding apology over his crass remarks.

The House saw noisy scenes, angry exchanges and demands for apology as Rahul’s magician jibe left the Treasury benches infuriated, who called it a “blatant mockery” of the Parliament and 1.4 billion people.

Participating in the debate, Rahul Gandhi borrowed heavily from his childhood, recalling his innate fears, the moment of truth and also how his grandmother and former PM late Indira Gandhi helped overcome those fears.

He also referred to a magician show he watched during childhood, recalling how one failed trick marked latter’s end.

LoP Gandhi said that the BJP knew that this Bill cannot be passed but the Prime Minister was trying to send two messages — first is about changing the electoral map of India and second is to send the message that he is “pro-women”.

The LoP’s repeated references to magician led to angry uproar in House, even interventions from the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla but when he made pointed remarks that the “magician of Balakot, the magician of demonetisation, the magician of Sindoor, has suddenly got caught”, it prompted furious reaction from the BJP members.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju took fierce objection to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks and demanded that his remarks be expunged from the House proceedings.

Rijiju said that the Congress MP Rahul Gandhi mocked the Operation Sindoor by calling it “magic” and therefore insulted the Armed Forces as well as the country.

Speaker Om Birla told the House that these references from the proceedings have been expunged and also urged the Congress MP to use parliamentary language.

Rahul Gandhi heeded the Speaker Birla’s advice on magician barb but chose not to relent his attack on the Union government.

He said that there is a “central confusion” in the minds of BJP that they are the people of India, they are the armed forces, which in reality was not and asked them to “stop hiding behind the armed forces as cowards”.

Earlier, LoP Gandhi recalled his grandmother Indira Gandhi’s teachings on “looking into the darkness” to understand and confront one’s true fears and also said that she along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, both the country’s former Prime Ministers, chose not to proceed with the delimitation during their respective tenures understanding the hazards that it may unfold.

IANS