New Delhi: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s mode of protest by having tea and biscuits on the Makar Dwar Entrance to Parliament on March 12 hasn’t gone down well with a section of former bureaucrats, veterans and lawyers.
A group of 204 of them have written an open letter, seeking an apology from Rahul for showing “conscious disregard for Parliamentary authority”.
This group comprises 84 former bureaucrats, 116 veterans and four lawyers. Led by S P Vaid, former Jammu and Kashmir DGP, the signatories stated that the March 12 incident was “deeply concerning”.
Vaid, while speaking to ANI said that Rahul’s behaviour in Parliament is not becoming of a Leader of the Opposition and shows a “sense of entitlement and arrogance”.
“84 former bureaucrats, 116 veterans and former lawyers have addressed this letter to the public stating that Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour in Parliament is not becoming of a Leader of the Opposition, which is a very responsible post. His behaviour shows a sense of entitlement and arrogance. He indulges in theatrics; he sits on the steps of the Parliament and sips tea amid sloganeering. I think Rahul Gandhi does not understand the importance of the post of LoP,” he said.
Demanding an apology from him, the retired IPS officer urged Rahul to fulfil the role of a responsible LoP.
“We want him to understand this and apologise to the nation for all that has happened until now. Despite Speaker Om Birla appealing to him to maintain the dignity of the house, Rahul Gandhi d
oesn’t understand. He has made a laughing stock of himself. We want him to fulfil the role of a responsible LoP. There should be humbleness, not arrogance & sense of entitlement. What happened on 12th March was deplorable. Rahul Gandhi must understand his responsibility, because people listen when he speaks. The aspirations of the nation rest on the discussion that takes place in the Parliament and the laws emerging from it,” Vaid said.
The Parliament is not a venue for spectacle or political theatre, and Rahul’s conduct represents a clear disregard for established norms of behaviour and decorum, the letter stated.
“Rahul Gandhi, along with several Members of Parliament, was seen sitting on the steps of Parliament having tea and biscuits in a manner that was wholly unbecoming of members of the nation’s highest legislative body. The steps of Parliament are not a venue for spectacle or political theatre. Such conduct within the precincts of Parliament represents a clear disregard for established norms of behaviour and decorum. It reflects an attitude of arrogance and entitlement, and a troubling lack of respect for an institution that embodies the democratic will of the people of India,” it said.
“In his efforts to question the Government of the day, the actions of Rahul Gandhi are damaging the reputation of our country and our democracy. The fact that such behaviour is being carried out by a person who occupies a position as responsible and important as the Leader of Opposition makes it even more disturbing,” the letter added.
On that day, Rahul joined a protest at the Makar Dwar entrance to Parliament. Later, photos and videos went viral showing him casually sharing tea and snacks with colleagues.
Meanwhile, a notice along with a pen drive, containing material related to the incident, was submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. Such actions “lowered the dignity” of the Parliament, the MP stated.