BJP MPs spar with Rahul Gandhi at Parliament panel meeting on India’s G20 Presidency

The meeting degenerated into a shouting match, after BJP MPs GVL Narasimha Rao and Anil Firojiya, according to sources, flagged Mr. Gandhi’s remarks on the “state of Indian democracy” made in earlier this month in London.

A meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankhar held on March 19 evening rapidly degenerated into a war of words between Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and the BJP members about the former’s remarks about the “state of Indian Democracy” in London made earlier this month.  

Mr. Jaishankhar, briefing the members made a detailed presentation on the government’s preparations for the G20 summit and the pre-summit events. The presentation emphasised on India’s role as “mother democracy”, which reportedly, prompted a debate on the democratic credentials of the country. 

BJP Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao, according to sources, flagged the recent report by financial research group Hindenburg and “anti-India” comments made by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, both of which, he said, are part of a larger “anti-India” conspiracy. 

BJP’s Lok Sabha MP Anil Firojiya, without naming Mr. Gandhi said, that there are political leaders who try to score brownie points by talking about Indian democracy on foreign land. 

Mr. Gandhi was among the last members to speak. He, according to sources, opened his remarks by reiterating that democracy is under attack in the country, to which Mr. Jaishankar reportedly retorted saying that “most of us disagree with you”.

Mr. Gandhi, responded by saying that “it is fine” and that it Mr. Jaishankhar’s “democratic right” to think so, just as it is “my democratic right to reply when attacked.”

Mr. Gandhi further clarified that his remarks were aimed at an individual who was named in the Hindenburg report and not against the government and that an individual industrialist does not stand for the entire government or the country. Even as he was speaking, according to an opposition MP, there were repeated interjections from the ruling party MPs leading to a shouting match between the two sides.