Patna, Oct 30 Union minister Chirag Paswan on Friday criticised the Congress’s proposed mock parliament and claimed that the party was wasting its own time as well as that of its allies.
He also attacked the opposition party for scheduling its ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, which was the anniversary of the outbreak of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the national capital following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The Congress’s mock parliament, dubbed as “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, which was scheduled to be held on Friday, was postponed to October 31.
“The opposition parties must decide for themselves how justified it is in staging a mock version of parliamentary proceedings. They should instead use the actual House when it is available,” he said.
Paswan accused the Congress of disrupting entire sessions of Parliament over several issues.
“Not only are thousands of crores of rupees wasted, but millions of people who wait to see their elected representatives discuss their issues in the House are disappointed. While they (Congress) do not allow the actual Parliament to function, it is surprising that they have planned a mock Parliament at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence,” he said.
Paswan said he was “shocked” to learn that leaders of the INDIA bloc planned to attend the mock Parliament.
“The reality is that the Congress, through all these activities, is only wasting its own time and that of its allies. It would be better if it spent the same amount of time introspecting and analysing why the people of the country have rejected the country’s oldest political party,” he said.
The LJP(RV) leader questioned the timing of the Congress-led rally on November 1, saying it “coincidentally or otherwise” falls on the anniversary of the anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi.
“It was on this day that Sikhs were massacred in Delhi. With elections approaching in Punjab, the Congress is organising a rally and demonstrating its political strength on the day of the massacre of Sikhs. In doing so, it is rubbing salt into the wounds of those who lost their loved ones in that massacre,” he said.
Responding to a video statement of Naseeruddin Shah where the actor described himself as a ‘Dimagi Naxal,’ Paswan said the term is associated with people aiming to stall the country’s progress and establish anarchy.
Shah had posted a video on social media in support of protesting students from Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), in which he sarcastically described himself as a Dimagi Naxal—a term coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech this year.
“The concept of Dimagi Naxal is about promoting anarchy and division in the country. It intends to destroy the existing governance system by orchestrating regime change through force, as evident in neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh,” he said.
Anyone who self-proclaims themselves as a Dimagi Naxal is among the people who do not want the nation to progress and intend to spread anarchy, Paswan added.
(PTI News)
