Venkaiah Naidu hits back at Rahul Gandhi’s ‘earthquake’ remark, says public mandate with PM Modi on demonetisation

"You (Congress) are talking about inconvenience caused to people, lakhs of people committed suicide due to distress under your regime. Who are you preaching?" Naidu said.

Updated: December 9, 2016 1:12 PM IST

By Mohammed Uzair Shaikh

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi (left), Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu (right)
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi (left), Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu (right)

New Delhi, Sep 9: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu struck back at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for his ‘earthquake’ remark. Rahul had claimed that if he gets an opportunity to speak in the Parliament, he would create an ‘earthquake’. Naidu retaliated saying, Rahul is known for ‘quackery’ and not ‘quakes’. The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) further rebutted the allegations that demonetisation is an anti-people measure. Contradicting the claims of Congress, Naidu claimed that people of the country are, by and large, in favour of demonetisation.

“Demonetisation is a short term struggle for a long term gain. You (Congress) are talking about inconvenience caused to people, lakhs of people committed suicide due to distress under your regime.Who are you preaching?” Naidu said. He further added that Prime Minister Modi has received mandate on all fronts. “Nationally bypolls mein mandate mil gaya, Internationally TIME magazine ka result aa gaya. Aur kaunsa mandate chahiye?” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Naidu lashed out at Congress-led Opposition, accusing them of warding off the debate on demonetisation in Parliament. “Opposition is not allowing the House to function, despite the appeal of President. They are committing contempt of democracy,” Naidu added.

Lok Sabha, on Friday was adjourned within an hour due to the constant shouting and sloganeering by the Opposition. They have demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the demonetisation debate and reply to the queries. According to NDTV, Modi is expected to speak in the Parliament on Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the media earlier in the day, claimed that Modi is running away from the House as he is not prepared to face the questions. “He is running away everywhere and speaking on the issue of demonetisation. Why is he afraid to turn up in the Parliament?” Rahul said, further adding that the Opposition is trying to seek a debate from the very beginning of the Winter Session.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar has demanded an apology from the Opposition for stalling the operations of the House. “Opposition is running away from discussion as they don’t have any logic. They must apologise,” he said.

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.