New Delhi [India], February 5 : After Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend the Lok Sabha amid reports of an alleged physical attack planned against him, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Thursday dismissed the same, claiming that the media reports were "planted" by the Speaker's office.
In an unprecedented turn of events, the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks to the President's address without the customary reply by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Reports are being planted in the media from the Lok Sabha Speaker's office claiming that the Congress party was planning to use women MPs to 'attack' the Prime Minister yesterday," Khera posted on X.
He further asked the Modi government and its "subservient journalists" whether the protest by women opposition MPs in the Parliament was considered an act of "terrorism".
"Are the Modi government and their subservient journalists trying to say that women are inherently violent? Is protest by a woman considered terrorism? Were the Modi government and their compliant journalists uncomfortable with a Dalit woman MP standing up? Do they consider them untouchable?" the Congress leader said.
https://x.com/Pawankhera/status/2019341475218174316
Khera further demanded an apology from the central government and its "servile journalists".
"The Modi government and its servile journalists should apologise to the women of the country, especially Dalit women," he said.
This comes after women opposition MPs gheraoed the Prime Minister's seat in the lower house of the Parliament while carrying banners in protest against the central government amid uproar over Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi not being allowed to quote from the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane on the 2020 China standoff.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said he had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the House yesterday to prevent any unpleasant incident, as he received information that some Congress MPs could come to the PM's seat in the House and "resort to an unprecedented incident".
"The country saw what happened in the House yesterday. Everyone saw how the MPs approached the PM's chair in the House. I got information that any mishap could have happened. To ensure that such a situation does not arise, I conveyed to PM Modi not to come to the House," he said before adjourning the lower house.
"If this incident had occurred, this highly unpleasant scene would have shredded the democratic traditions of the country to pieces. To avert this, I requested the Prime Minister that he should not come to the House. As the Speaker of the House, it was my responsibility to keep the high traditions and dignity of the House intact," Birla added.
Birla also objected to the raising of posters and pamphlets by women opposition MPs and advices the members to maintain the dignity of the House.
"By accepting my request to not be present, the Leader of the House saved the House from an unpleasant scene. I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister for accepting my suggestion. If you bring posters and pamphlets, the House will not run. It will not run today, and it will not run tomorrow. Maintain the traditions and dignity of the House and the chamber," he said.