Parliament session: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi made his first speech as LoP.
The Bharatiya Janata Party - led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh - hit back strongly to Rahul Gandhi's Monday afternoon speech in Parliament, accusing the Congress MP, and new Leader of the Opposition, of insulting all Hindus.
This was after Mr Gandhi - who came armed to deliver his first speech as the LoP with a copy of the Constitution and photos of religious figures, including Lord Shiva - launched a fierce attack on the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS.
Mr Modi rose twice to rebut the Congress leader's remarks.
"Calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue..." Mr Modi said first.
His second intervention drew jeers from his rivals; the Prime Minister declared the Constitution had taught him to respect the post of the Leader of the Opposition, which is held today by Mr Gandhi.
The jeers were because the opposition has claimed the government is trying to subvert the Constitution - a charge the BJP has trashed - and Mr Gandhi was among MPs adding "Jai Samvidhan" to their oaths last month.
"It feels nice... BJP people are repeating 'Jai Samvidhan' after me," he quipped.
Rahul Gandhi's Fiery Speech
Mr Gandhi began his speech by claiming a "full-scale and systematic assault on the idea of India... the Constitution... and on people who resisted the attack on the Constitution". Many opposition leaders were "personally attacked", the Congress leader thundered and said "some are still in jail".
READ | 2 Ministers, MP Lead Fight Back On Rahul Gandhi's Big Speech
The reference seemed to be to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose AAP is part of the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc. Mr Kejriwal is in Delhi's Tihar Jail over his arrest in the liquor policy case.
Mr Gandhi also displayed images of Guru Nanak Dev - for which he was admonished by Speaker Om Birla - and flagged a commonality in their most popular poses - the outward-facing right hand, which is also the Congress's symbol.
READ | Rahul, Rajnath Face-Off In Parliament Over Agniveer
"Darao mat... daro mat... (don't scare, don't be scared)," Mr Gandhi asserted, referring to the 'abhaya mudra' - which teaches one to dispel fear - and identical lessons he said are taught by all religions.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Parliament.
"The 'abhaya mudra' is the symbol of the Congress... it is the gesture of safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection in Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and other Indian religions..." he said.
Amit Shah Responds
After the Prime Minister's terse rebuttal Mr Shah took the lead.
"Leader of the Opposition said those who call themselves Hindu talk of violence. He doesn't know crores proudly call themselves Hindu... connecting violence with any religion is wrong," he declared.
"Rahul Gandhi must apologise," Mr Shah shouted.
The Home Minister also invoked the Emergency imposed by Congress stalwart and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which is often used by the BJP to attack its rival, and the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
"Rahul Gandhi must apologise for his remarks painting all Hindus as violent," Mr Shah declared.
RSS Hits Back Too
Meanwhile, late Monday the RSS also responded with Sunil Ambekar, the organisation's Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, talking to news agency ANI.
"It is unfortunate that people holding important positions in Parliament are associating Hindutva with violence. Whether Vivekananda or Gandhi... Hindutva is a symbol of harmony and brotherhood..."
"First Day, Worst Show":
BJP chief JP Nadda, after facing fractious moments of his own in the Rajya Sabha, took aim at Mr Gandhi with a series of posts on X, in which he accused the Congress leader of having "blatantly lied".
"First day, worst show!
Lies + Hindu hatred = Rahul Gandhi Ji in Parliament.
Third-time fail LoP has a knack for agitated, flawed logic. His speech today has shown that neither has he understood the mandate of 2024 (his third successive loss) nor does he have any humility."
"Rahul Gandhi must immediately apologise to all Hindus for terming them 'violent'. This is the same person who was telling foreign diplomats Hindus are terrorists. Intrinsic hate to Hindus must stop."
"Leader of the Opposition is now a five-time MP but has not learnt Parliamentary norms and does not understand civility. Time and again he reduces the levels of discourse. His utterances towards the Chair today were in very poor taste. He owes and apology..." Mr Nadda raged.
Rajya Sabha Rumble
It wasn't just the Lok Sabha that witnessed chaos and shouting and screaming.
In the Rajya Sabha, where Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge led the charge, the opposition clashed with Mr Nadda on issues like alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance tests and the row over relocation of national leader's statues within the Parliament complex.
READ | In Rajya Sabha, Kharge's "Small Request" vs Nadda's Fierce Reply
Mr Kharge's jabs came amid frequent complaints by the Congress and other opposition parties - in this session and past ones - that they are not allowed to speak, much less criticise or question the government during Parliament.
With input from agencies
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