Row in Raj House over Cong leader’s ‘end Modi’ remark

JAIPUR:  MLAs of the Opposition BJP staged a walkout of the Rajasthan Assembly on Tuesday following uproarious scenes over certain remarks made by Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Randhawa, the party’s in-charge for the state, against PM Narendra Modi. 

Addressing a gathering in Jaipur on Monday, Randhawa had said, “If Adani and Ambani have to be removed, Modi should be finished first…then defeat the BJP. The state unit of the BJP was furious and claimed that this amounted to a conspiracy to eliminate PM Modi.

Addressing the Assembly, BJP  MLA Madan Dilawar said, “Terrorists have entered Rajasthan. The public is terrorised. The terrorist (Randhawa) has appealed to end Modi. But the state government is sitting quietly. A conspiracy is  being hatched to kill Modiji and that terrorist has still not been arrested.”

Many BJP MLAs entered the Well of the House and began shouting slogans against Randhawa. Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore said, “The way Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has made a statement about the Prime Minister of the country is condemnable.” He then announced a walkout of his party’s MLAs from the House. 

Later, Congress tried to defend Randhawa’s statement. Education Minister BD Kalla claimed, “Randhawa had said that Modiji must be defeated politically to save the country. He did not talk about ending Modiji. I was present there. There is a provision in the rules of the Assembly that no issue can be raised just on the basis of news reports.”

BJP leaders and workers also staged a protest outside the Congress party headquarters in Jaipur.