BJP nervous with INDIA bloc: Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil amid India vs Bharat row
Sep 05, 2023
New Delhi [India], September 5 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is nervous with the Opposition coalition, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), said Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil on Tuesday amid the ongoing India vs Bharat row.
"BJP is nervous with the INDIA alliance. Article 1 of the Constitution says, 'India, that is Bharat'...What does our alliance say? Judega Bharat, jeetega India. So Bharat and India are two sides of the same coin? Who can separate them? BJP is nervous with our alliance, so they are saying all this,” the Congress MP said.
The invitations extended by President Draupadi Murmu to heads of state, government, and Chief Ministers of States for an official banquet during the G20 Summit in New Delhi sparked a row as the word “India” was replaced with “Bharat”.
Rather than the customary "President of the Republic of India," the term "Bharat" was used, triggering speculation within political circles, particularly among members of the Opposition INDIA alliance.
MP Gohil further alleged that the Central Government “strangulated democracy” by not keeping Zero Hour and Question Hour during the Parliament special session which is scheduled to be held from September 18-21.
Earlier sources suggested that there will likely be no Question Hour, Zero Hour and no Private Member Business bill during the five-day ‘special session’ of Parliament.
Congress MP Gohil said, "Parliament's 5-day session is about to begin. Our rules have provisions for Zero Hour, Question Hour and Private Member Business. Members have the right to raise the issue of people in Parliament during the Zero Hour, Question Hour and Private Member Business.”
“There are a lot of issues. When will we raise that? By not keeping Zero Hour, Question Hour and Private Member Business, Govt has strangulated democracy. We are against this,” MP Gohil said.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday informed about the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22. The agenda for this special session, however, was not revealed.
"Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) is being called from 18th to 22nd September having 5 sittings. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament,” Joshi said on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).
The monsoon session of parliament, which concluded last month, was held in the old Parliament building.
The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year.
The winter session of Parliament usually begins in the last week of November.
