Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: he Opposition on Wednesday slammed BJP MP Anurag Thakur's speech on the Budget as an insult to Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs, with the Congress claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged a "serious breach of parliamentary privilege" by sharing it on X.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon on Wednesday amid protests by opposition members over Thakur's remarks in the House and their demand for a caste census.
Thakur's remarks on Tuesday that "whose caste is not known talks about caste census", triggered an uproar in the House with the opposition slamming the comments directed at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh slammed Thakur for making an apparent reference to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's caste during a discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha.
Prime Minister Modi praised Thakur's speech, and said it was a "must hear".
Tagging Modi's post on X, Ramesh said, "This speech that the non-biological Prime Minister calls a 'must hear' is a highly abusive and unconstitutional tirade -- and by sharing it, he has encouraged a serious breach of Parliamentary privilege." Thakur brought parliamentary discourse to a new low by asking a fellow MP and the Leader of Opposition about his caste identity, Ramesh said.
Upon protests from the opposition benches, the Chair, Jagadambika Pal, assured MPs that the comments will be expunged, he said.
"In a departure from all parliamentary norms -- expunged comments are edited out of videos uploaded online -- Sansad TV has uploaded the unedited speech, and the non-biological Prime Minister has shared and praised it publicly," Ramesh said.
"This is a new and shameful low in the annals of India's parliamentary history. It reflects the BJP-RSS and Mr. Modi's deep-rooted casteism," the Congress leader alleged.
Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said the INDIA bloc protested inside the House on Wednesday against the "insensitive and cruel" remarks made by the BJP leaders during a discussion of the Budget with respect to the caste census.
"We know caste census is a very emotional issue and many people in India from the SC, ST and OBC category want the caste census but their demand was mocked by the BJP in Parliament. They were insulted by the BJP in Parliament and it is unfortunate that later in the evening, the PM shared that speech and praised that speech," Gogoi told reporters outside Parliament.
"Anurag Thakur insulted me and I don't want any apology from him. Abuse or insult me as hard as you can but don't forget we will pass the caste census in this Parliament for sure," the leader of opposition said in the House.
Sharing Thakur's speech on X on Tuesday, Modi said. "This speech by my young and energetic colleague Shri Anurag Thakur is a must hear. A perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the I.N.D.I. Alliance." As the row erupted in Parliament, the Congress said the Gandhi family's caste is martyrdom but the BJP-RSS will never understand that.
"They are being insulted in Parliament. We have been continuously demanding caste census and the government is continuously denying it. Reservations are being denied under this government," he alleged.
"Question is not what is the caste of Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi, but question is of caste census. By re-tweeting the speech, the prime minister, has shown that he cannot rise above 'bhains, mangalsutra and mujra'," he said.
Congress MP Digvijaya Singh slammed Thakur, and said he did not expect the PM to support such remarks.
After an uproar, Gandhi accused Thakur of insulting and abusing him during the debate but asserted that he would not seek any apology from the former Union minister.
"Anurag Thakur insulted me and I don't want any apology from him. Abuse or insult me as hard as you can but don't forget we will pass the caste census in this Parliament for sure," the Leader of Opposition had said in the House.
Sharing Thakur's speech on X on Tuesday, Modi said. "This speech by my young and energetic colleague Shri Anurag Thakur is a must hear. A perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the INDI Alliance." As the row erupted in Parliament, the Congress said the Gandhi family's caste is martyrdom but the BJP-RSS will never understand that.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also came down heavily on Thakur's apparent questioning of Gandhi's caste in the Lok Sabha.
"A socio-economic caste census is the demand of 80 per cent of the people of this country. Today, it was said in Parliament that those whose caste is not known talk about a caste census," she said in a post in Hindi on X on Tuesday.
Will 80 per cent of India's population be abused in Parliament now, she asked.
"Narendra Modi should clarify whether this happened at his behest," she had said.