Opposition to meet on Parliament strategy amid uproar over Rahul's claims

Opposition parties will meet on Thursday to strategize for the parliamentary session amid repeated disruptions. The uproar stems from Rahul Gandhi's accusations against PM Modi over the China crisis, citing Gen MM Naravane's unpublished memoir.

Opposition to Discuss Parliament Strategy

A meeting of opposition parties has been called for Thursday morning to discuss strategy for the parliamentary session amid repeated disruptions in the House, according to the sources. The meeting is scheduled to be held at 10 AM in Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's room in the Parliament building.

Rahul Gandhi Accuses PM Modi of Being 'Scared'

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "scared" and avoiding Parliament, saying he does not want to face the truth on national security, as a major standoff erupted in the House over Gandhi's references to former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China border crisis. PM Modi was expected to reply to the motion of thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha at 5 PM on Wednesday, but the House was adjourned till February 5, following repeated disruptions and uproar by Opposition members.

Cites General Naravane's Unpublished Memoir

In a post shared on X, Gandhi wrote, "As I said, PM Modi won't come to Parliament because he is scared and doesn't want to face the truth." He also shared a video from outside the Parliament premises, saying, "I don't think the PM will have the guts to come in the Lok Sabha today because if he comes, I'm going to give him this (General MM Naravane) book. So if PM comes, I will go physically and hand him this book so he can read it, and he will know what his truth is, and the country will also know about the same."

Earlier in the day, Gandhi said he would present Prime Minister Modi with General Naravane's book, claiming it reveals how political leadership left the Army to act alone during the 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.

In another post on X, he said the book was written by India's former Army Chief and not by any opposition leader or foreign author. "Today, if the Prime Minister comes to Parliament, I will present him with a book. This book is not by any opposition leader. This book is not by any foreign author. This book is by the country's former Army Chief, General Naravane, and the surprising thing is that, according to the Cabinet Ministers, this book does not even exist," he wrote. "This book clearly states that when the Chinese army had entered our border, in such a critical moment, the Army Chief was made to wait. And when the time came to take a decision, the Prime Minister simply said, "Do whatever you think is appropriate." In other words, in the most serious crisis of the country's security, Modi ji raised his hands from political responsibility. General Naravane himself writes that at that time he felt the political leadership had left the army alone. This is the very truth for speaking which I am being stopped in Parliament. The country is asking questions, and the government is running away from answering," the post read.

Uproar and Repeated Disruptions in Lok Sabha

The controversy triggered repeated disruptions in the Lok Sabha. On Monday, the House witnessed multiple interruptions and was adjourned for the day after Gandhi insisted on speaking about the China standoff while referring to a report citing Naravane's unpublished memoir. BJP members objected, arguing that he was violating House rules.

Speaker Om Birla ruled that Rahul Gandhi should not make references to the unpublished book and the article. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to demoralise the armed forces. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also urged the Chair to not allow the Congress leader to make such a reference.

Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned till 2 pm amid sloganeering over the suspension of eight MPs during the ongoing Budget Session. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)