Congressional leader Rahul Gandhi said the lockdown was not an attack on the coronavirus but on the poor people of the country.
A section within the party believes that with the suspension of Question Time and the approaching elections in Bihar and Bengal, it was important that the leader of Congress was physically present in the Chamber.
- CNN-News18
- Last update: September 14, 2020 12:38 PM IST
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On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament, Congressional Leader Rahul Gandhi launched a strong attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter as India recorded more than 92,000 coronavirus cases in 24 hours. In his tweet, Gandhi said: “The Modi government has said that we must be self-sufficient, which means saving their own lives, as the prime minister is busy with peacocks.” The excavation was a reference to a recent video of the prime minister feeding peacocks at his residence.
While Rahul Gandhi’s attack was all over Twitter, it was nowhere to be seen. The former president of Congress said goodbye to Lok Sabha in a letter written to the president to travel abroad for a routine checkup on his mother Sonia Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi has had to postpone his annual check-up at a US hospital for an undisclosed illness. She is usually accompanied by one of her children and this time, Rahul Gandhi has chosen to accompany her.
However, some in the party are unhappy with the timing of his visit. They feel that with the suspension of question time and the upcoming elections in Bihar and Bengal, it was important for him to be physically present. Rahul Gandhi has been one of the most aggressive voices to attack the government over the coronavirus, the economy and China, but many of his colleagues feel that now is the time for him to be present in Parliament to take on the government.
More importantly, this is also the time when Rahul Gandhi and Congress could try to reach out to other opposition parties. Rahul Gandhi has often been accused of not being there when it is most needed; either during the protests against the CAA or during the Delhi riots. In fact, although he has been aggressive on the China issue, he has skipped the 11th meeting of the parliamentary defense committee. He attended her for the first time this week to bring up the subject of jaw eating habits.
Rahul Gandhi’s supporters say he doesn’t have to be present to address issues, as his support is always behind the scenes. Also, in this case, a personal reason for the absence should not become a political issue.
However, the fact remains that Rahul Gandhi’s absence puts his party on the defensive while leaving the BJP smiling and helping to reinforce his labeling as a tourist politician.
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