New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Reacting to the FIR registered against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and Purnia MP Pappu Yadav after their symbolic protest at the Parliament over alleged donation theft at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP, N.K. Premachandran on Monday criticised the move, saying the registration of a case against Opposition leaders cannot be justified under any circumstances.
Speaking to IANS, Premachandran said, “I strongly protest the registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi and Pappu Yadav. This was merely a symbolic form of protest held in front of Parliament. The Opposition has been consistently demanding a discussion on the issue, but the government has not agreed to it.”
He further said that the Opposition had repeatedly sought a debate in Parliament on the donation thefts at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, but their demands were ignored.
“Even the Home Ministry is not coming to the House regarding the issue. The entire Opposition wants to have an important discussion on this matter. Parliament is the appropriate forum to debate such issues, and when that opportunity is denied, symbolic protests become the only option available to the Opposition,” he said.
Questioning the rationale behind the FIR, Premachandran pointed out that symbolic demonstrations have frequently taken place inside Parliament over the years.
“Many such incidents have happened inside Parliament in the past. We have seen MPs from different parties stage symbolic protests. Members from Telangana and leaders from the Telugu Desam Party have even brought representations of gods and goddesses into Parliament during protests. We have witnessed many symbolic demonstrations within the Parliament premises. How can the government now claim that this amounts to a criminal offence and register an FIR? It cannot be justified at all,” he said.
An FIR was registered in Varanasi on Saturday against LoP Rahul Gandhi, Independent MP Pappu Yadav and Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad over a skit performed in the Parliament complex concerning the alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple.
According to Varanasi Police, the case was registered at Kotwali Police Station following a complaint filed by several seers, who alleged that the three Opposition leaders had insulted Sanatan Dharma.
Gaurav Banswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kashi Zone, said the FIR was lodged under Sections 196, 299, 302 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The skit was staged on Friday in front of the Makar Dwar in the Parliament complex. Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron attire, participated alongside other Opposition MPs to protest the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. During the performance, MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, placed money in donation boxes, while Pappu Yadav symbolically slipped money into his pockets to depict the alleged theft. Yadav represents Bihar’s Purnia constituency, while Awadhesh Prasad is the MP from Faizabad (Ayodhya) in Uttar Pradesh.
Hindu groups expressed their anger over the skit by holding protests at several places. In Bhopal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists raised slogans against Rahul Gandhi and tried to march from Vyapam Square to Link Road, but police stopped them at barricades. Some activists tried to cross the barricades, leading to scuffles.
–IANS
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