Rajasthan: 6 Congress MLAs suspended, to spend night in assembly after ruckus over minister’s ’dadi’ Indira Gandhi jibe

Six Congress MLAs were suspended from the remaining period of the Rajasthan Assembly’s Budget Session and will spend a night in the House following an uproar over a ‘dadi’ Indira Gandhi remark by a minister in the assembly on Friday.

According to reports, blankets and mattresses were brought to Rajasthan assembly for the MLAs.

“In the 2023-24 budget also, like always, you named the scheme (on working women’s hostels) after your ‘dadi’ (grandmother) Indira Gandhi,” said Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot while answering a question regarding hostels for working women, reported PTI.

Suspended MLAs

Laxmangarh MLA and state party chief Govind Singh Dotasra, Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Zakir Hussain, Hakim Ali and Sanjay Kumar, are among those suspended.

Protest by Congress

Dotasra demanded that the statement be expunged and the minister should apologise.

The Congress MLAs also stormed to the well, raising slogans and demanding an apology from the minister.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said there was nothing unparliamentary about the word ‘dadi’, reported PTI.

Congress MLAs enter well

When Congress MLAs started entering the well, the House was adjourned for half an hour during the Question Hour. Later, when the House proceedings resumed, Congress leaders continued sloganeering and the speaker announced the adjournment of the House till 2 pm.

Chief whip demands suspension

Stating that the speed and intention with which they moved towards the chair and the incident of reaching close to the Speaker is definitely condemnable and not a pardonable crime, government chief whip Jogeshwar Garg demanded that the six Congress members be suspended.

The House passed the proposal by voice vote following which the speaker Vasudev Devnani adjourned the house until 11 am on February 24.

Dostara slams government

Dotasra said on ‘X’, “Rajasthan will not tolerate the insult of Indira ji.

BJP minister Avinash Gehlot who commented on former prime minister Indira Gandhi should apologise.”

The voice of the people cannot be suppressed by suspending them from the Assembly, said MLA Zakir Hussain