Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that truth can be expunged in the world of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but not in reality. This comes hours after significant parts of his Lok Sabha speech were deleted by the chair. "Whatever I had to say, I have said, and that is the truth. They can expunge as much as they want, but the truth will prevail," Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament complex.
The Congress leader was responding to questions on certain remarks he made during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha on Monday. "Truth can be expunged in the world of Modi ji, but in reality, truth cannot be expunged," Gandhi said.
In his first speech as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi had launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines.
The former Congress chief's remarks drew massive protests from the treasury benches and a rare intervention from the prime minister, who slammed the Congress leader for calling the entire Hindu community violent.
On portions of Rahul Gandhi's speech expunged, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that the Congress leader made a statement about those who do politics under the pretence of Hindu.
"First of all, he made no such statement. He made a statement about those who do politics under the pretence of Hindu. There is a vast difference between them and us. They use Hinduism for their politics and we believe in our beliefs. They spread hatred under the pretext of politics and on the basis of religion, we work on the basis of love, inclusiveness and ethos of Hinduism. I think Rahul Gandhi made it very clear that the BJP is not the 'thekedar' of Hinduism, Narendra Modi is not the entire Hindu community. I think it is unfortunate that the statement is being misconstrued," Chaturvedi said.
Aazad Samaj Party - Kanshi Ram MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad says, "A large population is devoid of basic facilities. I have come here (to Parliament) to discuss that. Government and Opposition would know better about what is being said by who".
SP MP Awadhesh Prasad said that Gandhi's remarks were for the people of the BJP and not the entire Hindu community. "So far as I know, so far as I heard, he didn't mean that for the entire Hindu community. Maybe, he meant that for the people of BJP. But it wasn't for the entire Hindu community. Hindu community has a glorious history, a glorious tradition...He had no ill-intent towards Hindus...It is the right of the Speaker that the words that were not in accordance with the traditions and Constitution can be expunged," he said.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the ruling saffron party and said that those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in "violence and hate" round the clock.
"All religions and all our great men talk about non-violence and fearlessness, but those who call themselves Hindus only talk about violence, hatred, and falsehood. Aap Hindu ho hi nahi (you are not Hindus)," he said.