Kamlesh Paswan refuted Rahul Gandhi's contention that he was in the wrong party
Parliament witnessed a rare moment of empathy between a member of the BJP and Congress's Rahul Gandhi today as the response to the President's speech drew close to a noisy end.
Mr Gandhi, who ripped into the Narendra Modi government, had accused it of unleashing forces it had no understanding of through its policies and stance. Mr Gandhi said. "This attack you are carrying on the institution framework -- you'll get a response".
"My great grandmother (former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi) was shot 32 times. My father (former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi) was blown into pieces. I know what it is. You are fiddling with something dangerous. If you don't stop you'll create a problem," Mr Gandhi added.
Referring to the BJP MP who spoke just before him, he said, "You (the government) don't listen to anyone. Mr (Kamlesh) Paswan is in the wrong party. He's spoken to me personally".
Then amid ruckus, he added, "I'm a democratic person, I'll allow him to speak," drawing an instant rejoinder from the chair that only he could allow anyone to speak.
Mr Paswan rose moments later to refute Mr Gandhi's contention that he was in the wrong party. "My party has given me ticket, what more do I want?" he said. Then he added, "My father was killed. So I know the pain".
Kamalesh Paswan's father Om Prakash Paswan, a political leader from Uttar Pradesh, was killed in 1996 while addressing a public meeting.
In his speech in parliament today, Mr Gandhi had harshly criticised the government, accusing it of not only "playing with the foundation of our country" but also bringing together "Pakistan and China".
"You'll be responsible for anything that happens. It is important for you to listen to us. The nation is at risk from outside, inside and that's a very dangerous place to be," he added.