Jammu, March 27 All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Shahnawaz Choudhary on Friday strongly criticised BJP legislators for using derogatory words against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly here.
Amid slogans in support and against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, a heated exchange erupted between Congress MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone and BJP members on Friday over the issue of Iran and the demand for a National Law University in Jammu.
Marshals intervened in time to prevent a scuffle between BJP's Yudhvir Sethi and Congress MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone, even as Sethi was heard making remarks against Rahul Gandhi after Lone accused the prime minister of a "submissive surrender" to the US over issues including the trade deal and the Iran conflict.
Launching an attack on the BJP MLAs for their "disruptive and disrespectful" behaviour, Choudhary said such actions in the sacred temple of democracy are unacceptable and highly condemnable.
"Gandhi, as the Leader of Opposition, represents the voice of crores of Indians and the entire opposition. If the BJP wants respect for the Prime Minister, they must first learn to behave with basic decency and earn that respect through their conduct," he said in a statement here.
Instead of discussing and resolving the pressing issues of the common masses, Choudhary said the BJP is "shamelessly indulging in hooliganism and disrupting the House. This is a direct insult to democratic norms."
Demanding strict action, the Congress leader asked the J&K Assembly speaker to immediately suspend the guilty BJP MLAs for their "derogatory" comments and unruly behaviour.
"The silence of the chief minister is equally shocking and condemnable. As partners in the INDIA alliance, it is their equal responsibility to stop such shameful incidents, set a strong precedent, and maintain discipline and dignity inside the House,” he said.
Choudhary warned that such behaviour undermines the sanctity of democratic institutions and urged all parties to ensure that the Assembly remains a forum for constructive debate, not a stage for political vendetta and hooliganism.
Talking to reporters outside the House, Lone, who was holding a hand-written placard to protest the BJP-led government’s policies, accused Modi of surrendering before the US.
"The Prime Minister is compromised…the Indo-US trade deal is against the farmers of the country," he said.