New Delhi, February 3: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of opposing India's progress and questioning the country's institutions.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Goyal said, "Rahul Gandhi appears to be uncomfortable with the nation's development and does not want to see India move towards a bright future."
"Rahul Gandhi ko kya mirchi lagti hai?" Piyush Goyal asked in Hindi that translates to why the Congress leader was feeling troubled or feeling the sting, adding that the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha "will have to answer what he wants to achieve with this negative mentality."
The union Minister alleged that the Congress leader seeks to create disorder in the country and has repeatedly raised questions about the Indian armed forces.
Goyal condemned the conduct of the opposition in Parliament, accusing the Congress and its allies of disrupting proceedings and disrespecting the Chair.
He said the government would have preferred to present the matter in Parliament but was compelled to address the media due to what he described as unruly behaviour by opposition parties, including the Congress, DMK, TMC and Samajwadi Party.
"Normally, we would have wanted to speak about this in Parliament, but we all witnessed that disgraceful scene. The way the opposition, especially the Congress party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and their allies the DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party, behaved so disgracefully in Parliament today. They even reached the Speaker's chair and insulted him. I strongly condemn the opposition and Rahul Gandhi, because of whom we have come here today to give you this information instead of speaking in Parliament," he said.
The House, which witnessed two adjournments earlier in the day, resumed proceedings at 3 pm and Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition, said that he would not refer to any magazine article about former Army Chief Gen MM Naravane's memoirs but make comments about Chinese action during the Kaislash Range standoff with China and the government's response.
The government has said that Rahul Gandhi cannot quote from an unpublished memoir or a magazine article based on it.
The Chair asked Rahul Gandhi to resume his speech on the motion of thanks to the President's Address and follow the ruling already given.
As Rahul Gandhi insisted on making his intended remarks, the Chair called other members to speak ion he motion of thanks to the President's Address. Congress and opposition members resorted to sloganeering, which intensified after a TDP member started making his speech.
Amid uproar, some members were seen throwing papers. The House was adjourned till 3 pm.
When the House resumed its proceedings, BJP member Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair, named eight opposition members.
The opposition MPs who have been suspended for the remainder of the session are Congress members Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Doan Kuriakose and CDM member & Venkatesan. (ANI)
