JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Assembly turned into a battleground during Question Hour as a huge controversy erupted over a remark regarding former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on Friday. Heated exchanges led to multiple disruptions, forcing the House to be adjourned three times.
The controversy stemmed from Social Justice Minister Avinash Gehlot's statement during a discussion, where he remarked, "As always, you named this scheme after your 'Dadi' (grandmother) Indira Gandhi, in the last budget of 2023-24."
In reply to a question by Congress MLA Rafeeq Khan, the minister quipped, “Under previous Congress regimes schemes were launched in the name of your (Opposition’s) Dadi (Grandma) Indira Gandhi. What was the fate (status) of those schemes?”
This comment triggered a sharp reaction from the opposition, with Leader of Opposition Tikaram Juli condemning it, asserting, "Indira Gandhi was a former Prime Minister; such language is unacceptable."
Strong protests from the Opposition benches, led by the Congress state chief Govind Singh Dotasara, saw opposition MLAs trooping into the well raising slogans against the Minister’s utterance and demanding an apology from the latter. Dotasara retorted “What Dadi? Is it the decorum of the House to use such language?”
Amid intense protests, Congress MLAs stormed into the well of the House, prompting disciplinary action. Following a proposal by Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg, Speaker Vasudev Devnani approved the suspension of six opposition members, including Congress State President Dotasara, Deputy Leader of Opposition Ramkesh Meena, and MLAs Amin Kagzi, Zakir Hussain Gesavat, Hakam Ali Khan, and Sanjay Kumar, for the remainder of the budget session.
In retaliation, Congress legislators staged a sit-in protest inside the Assembly, denouncing the suspension of their colleagues. Consequently, the House was adjourned until Monday.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also weighed in on the issue, taking to social media platform X to criticize the BJP-led Rajasthan government. He tweeted, “The BJP government in Rajasthan appears unwilling to conduct Assembly proceedings smoothly. Their ministers and MLAs make unfounded and inappropriate remarks - sometimes about the late Prime Minister, sometimes about the late Chief Minister.”
Slamming Minister Avinash Gehlot’s remarks on Indira Gandhi, he further wrote, “Today, Minister Avinash Gehlot has made an unacceptable and disgraceful comment about Indira Gandhi, who sacrificed her life for the nation.”
Ashok Gehlot also rebuked BJP MLA Gopal Sharma for his recent claims that former Chief Minister Shivcharan Mathur had plotted encounters against Kirori Lal Meena and Harish Sharma. Calling the allegations “deeply unfortunate,” he reminded that Mathur was not just a dignified CM but also a freedom fighter.
Taking a dig at the ruling party, he concluded, “This exposes the BJP’s regressive mindset, which prioritises baseless accusations over discussions on the state’s development.”