Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday launched a pointed attack on the ruling establishment, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from the Lok Sabha during crucial proceedings and suggesting that the government was deliberately avoiding uncomfortable questions raised by the Opposition.
Her remarks came in response to comments made by Union Minister JP Nadda in the Rajya Sabha, where he referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as “naive.” Reacting sharply, Priyanka Gandhi said such language was inappropriate and asserted that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha must be given the freedom to speak without being interrupted or belittled.
Questioning the government’s intent, she asked whether this was an acceptable way to speak about an elected representative. She suggested that the ruling party’s discomfort stemmed from fear of Rahul Gandhi raising inconvenient issues. “What exactly are they afraid of?” she asked, adding that the government might be worried he would quote from a book, raise questions linked to the Epstein files, or challenge the India–US agreement, which she claimed could adversely affect Indian farmers.
The Wayanad MP’s comments were made in the context of reports circulating from the Epstein files that allegedly referenced the Prime Minister and his official visit to Israel. The government has strongly dismissed these reports, describing them as baseless, misleading and contemptible.
Earlier in the day, as Parliament resumed amid loud protests and repeated disruptions, the Rajya Sabha witnessed heated exchanges, particularly over the controversy surrounding the cancellation of Prime Minister Modi’s scheduled address in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Tempers flared as the Opposition accused the government of stifling debate, while the treasury benches blamed Opposition parties for paralysing proceedings.
During the debate, Nadda accused the Opposition of intentionally preventing the House from functioning and strongly rejected claims that democracy was under threat. He said that democratic processes must be respected and criticised what he described as the Opposition’s habit of holding Parliament hostage, using the remark about a “naive child” to underline his point.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge hit back, accusing the government of suppressing discussion and denying Opposition leaders the opportunity to speak in the Lok Sabha. Emphasising that Parliament consists of both Houses, Kharge questioned why issues of national importance could not be debated openly and asked how the House could be run in such a manner.
As the confrontation escalated, Congress members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha in protest.
The standoff unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing unrest in the Lok Sabha, where the Congress has alleged that Rahul Gandhi was repeatedly prevented from completing his speech during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. Earlier in the week, he was reportedly interrupted while attempting to quote from the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief MM Naravane, passages he said raised serious concerns related to national security.
