2024-07-03 19:45:02
Emphasising that Rahul Gandhi outgunned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday said the Leader of Opposition’s speech brought alive even the “crestfallen walls” of Parliament for the first time in 10 years.
”Rahul Gandhi raved that the BJP does not represent Hindus and Hindutva. He pulled down the mask of Hindutva from the faces of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah… Rahul Gandhi deserves full praise,” the Marathi newspaper said in its editorial.
It said, ”Rahul Gandhi pointed out that these people (BJP) are causing violence in the name of Hindutva and are spreading hatred. He said that the true Hindutva is tolerant and clutches on to truth without fear.”
In his first speech as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Rahul attacked the BJP, saying, “Those who call themselves Hindus… are engaged in violence and hate.” Several such references to Hinduism in the context of the BJP were among the 14 bits from the Congress leader’s speech which were expunged by Speaker Om Birla later.
“After his comments, the Prime Minister rose to his feet and accused Rahul Gandhi of insulting Hindus. Rahul Gandhi hit back at the PM. He said, ‘You (PM) do not understand Hindutva. BJP is not Hindutva’… At this point, the faces of Modi and Shah were seen to be believed. No one had dared to challenge Modi and Shah right on their turf in a manner that Rahul Gandhi did,” the editorial said.
Saamana said the BJP-led government had kept Parliament under its feet with the backing of a brute majority in the last two terms. ”But the moment a strong Opposition emerged under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, those who behaved at their whims and fancies in the name of Hindutva have been challenged,” the paper said.
It said Rahul ripped apart PM Modi’s claim that he was not born biologically and was sent by God. ”To this, Rahul sought to know whether God had directed him to carry out demonetisation. Did God direct him to hand over the Mumbai airport to (Gautam) Adani… Modi-Shah were left with no option but to seek help from Lok Sabha Speaker.”
The paper praised Rahul for confronting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who it said suspended over 100 MPs and passed several important laws without discussion in the past.
It said the scenario in Lok Sabha used to be like “Ek akela Rahul Gandhi, sab par bhari (Rahul Gandhi alone on one side, others on the opposite side)”. ”Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah, Rajnath Singh, Kiran Rijiju, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Bhupendra Yadav on one side and Rahul Gandhi alone on the other side… Rahul Gandhi blew to pieces the ego of Modi-Shah… It will be difficult to stop Rahul Gandhi now,” the paper added.
The Shiv Sena (UBT), headed by Uddhav Thackeray, is an alliance with the Congress in Maharashtra as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which also includes the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). The alliance won 30 of the 48 seats in the state in Lok Sabha elections 2024 (Congress-13, Shiv Sena (UBT)-9, NCP (SP)-8). The ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, could win only 17 seats.
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