Congress leaders stage overnight protest in Rajasthan assembly over “Dadi” remark

Congress leaders continued their overnight protest inside the Rajasthan Assembly. They opposed the suspension of six MLAs after a heated debate in the House on Friday.

The suspended MLAs included Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra, Deputy Leader of Opposition Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Zakir Hussain Gesawat, Hakeem Ali Khan, and Sanjay Kumar Jatav. They slept on bedding inside the Assembly, refusing to leave.

Tensions erupted after BJP minister Avinash Gehlot referred to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as “aapki dadi” (your grandmother). Congress leaders objected, calling the remark disrespectful. The controversy led to three adjournments throughout the day.

During Question Hour, Mr. Gehlot mentioned Indira Gandhi while discussing hostels for working women. He stated, “In the 2023-24 budget, like always, you named the scheme after your ‘dadi’ Indira Gandhi.” Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully immediately objected. He demanded the removal of the phrase, calling it inappropriate. Congress MLAs then stormed the well, shouting slogans.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel defended the minister. He argued that the term “dadi” was not unparliamentary. The House saw repeated adjournments before resuming at 4 p.m.

Government Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg condemned the Congress leaders’ behavior. He accused them of disrupting proceedings and moving aggressively toward the Speaker. He then called for their suspension for the rest of the budget session.

Jully slammed the suspension, calling it an attack on democracy. He accused the BJP of silencing the opposition. “Avinash Gehlot insulted Indira Gandhi, yet our MLAs were suspended. The BJP wants to crush dissent,” he posted on X.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot echoed the sentiment. He accused the BJP of hiding its failures. “First, they insulted Indira Gandhi. Then they suspended Congress MLAs for protesting. This mirrors the BJP’s tactics in Parliament,” he said in a Hindi post.

Gehlot further criticized the government for blocking the Opposition Leader’s speech on the Governor’s address. “They silenced him to avoid exposing their failures. Now, they’ve suspended our MLAs, including leaders from Dalit, backward, tribal, and minority communities. Is this not a distraction from budget discussions?” he questioned.

Congress has called for statewide protests on Saturday. The party aims to highlight the BJP government’s alleged misuse of power. Leaders vowed to continue their fight inside and outside the Assembly.