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The Lok Sabha witnessed a heated exchange between the Congress and the BJP over BJP MP Anurag Thakur's question regarding Rahul Gandhi's caste status. The Congress members accused Thakur of attempting to insult Gandhi, while the ruling party defended his remarks, arguing that Congress shouldn't object to inquiries about Gandhi's caste given his history of posing similar questions to others. The controversy escalated when Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted a video of Thakur's speech, including an expunged portion, further fueling tensions within the House.
The Congress MPs, along with their allies, protested vehemently against Thakur's remarks, demanding an apology. The Opposition's demands were met with counter arguments and support for Thakur from the ruling party members. The Speaker, Om Birla, attempted to maintain order amidst the commotion, eventually adjourning the House for a short period. During the recess, Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi filed a breach of privilege notice against PM Modi, claiming that the tweeted video containing the expunged portion violated parliamentary decorum and constituted contempt of the House. The Congress party leadership, while avoiding direct comments on the matter, interpreted Thakur's question as an attempt to insult Gandhi due to his parents' inter-religious marriage.
The BJP, through parliamentary affairs minister Kiran Rijijju, countered the Congress' accusations, arguing that their constant inquiries about the caste of media personnel and army personnel made their objection to the question about Gandhi's caste hypocritical. Rijijju further accused the Congress of orchestrating a conspiracy to divide the country based on caste. The debate surrounding Thakur's remarks has brought the sensitive issue of caste to the forefront, highlighting the complexities of India's social fabric and the potential for political manipulation of such sensitive topics.
Source: Congress vs BJP in Lok Sabha over Anurag Thakur's caste remark at Rahul Gandhi