‘Bharat Mata Unparliamentary Word Now’: Rahul Gandhi After Part Of Speech Expunged

Pic courtesy Sansad TV

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi lamented on Thursday that ‘Bharat Mata’ has become an ‘unparliamentary’ word.

Surprised at the Lok Sabha secretariat’s decision to expunge parts of his speech during the debate on no-confidence motion, Rahul told mediapersons: “Apparently, Bharat Mata is an unparliamentary word in India nowadays.

The word ‘murder’ was expunged from the phrase ‘murder of Bharat Mata’ used by Rahul in his Lok Sabha speech on Wednesday.

Rahul had launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government for failing to bring the situation in ethnic violence-hit Manipur under control even after three months.

“The Prime Minister has not gone to Manipur because he doesn’t consider it to be a part of India. You (BJP) have divided Manipur,” Rahul said.

“You are traitors… That is why Prime Minister does not visit Manipur. You are not protectors of Bharat Mata,” he added.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on the decision to expunge words from Rahul’s speech.

“If a word is unparliamentary, there is a provision to remove it. I don’t think that Rahul Gandhi has used any unparliamentary words… Rahul Gandhi said that Bharat Mata is being humiliated… I have taken up this issue with the Lok Sabha Speaker, and he has assured me that he will look into it,” said Adhir.

Several Lok Sabha members also wrote to Speaker Om Birla, pointing out that the decision to expunge the word ‘murder’ from the phrase ‘murder of Bharat Mata’ is inexplicable. They opined that it was clearly used in a ‘metaphorical context’.