- 6 months ago
The big focus of this episode of India First is on the intense political showdown in Parliament that led to the disruption of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled address on Wednesday evening.
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00:00Good evening, there was massive ruckus both inside and outside parliament today.
00:05So bad was the pandemonium in parliament that Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
00:10who was scheduled to respond to the debate on the presidential address at 5pm,
00:15he couldn't do so.
00:16And there were multiple issues, multiple fires that were lit.
00:20Books versus books, Sardar versus Gaddar.
00:23And that Sardar versus Gaddar and book versus book showed out
00:26is our top focus on India first.
00:30Protests stalled the Prime Minister's parliament address.
00:38Did the Congress plan this pandemonium?
00:47Rahul mocks the Prime Minister, says Modi is scared.
00:51But the BJP alleges a bid to attack the Prime Minister.
00:55The parliament turns into a battleground as Sardar versus Gaddar Rao erupts.
01:13Books turn into political weapons.
01:20Is ugly politics derailing democracy?
01:28That's the big focus on India first with Gaurav Sawant.
01:31Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi was in the line of fire of the Treasury benches
01:38for calling Union Minister of State for railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu, my traitor friend.
01:44Bittu immediately shot back calling Rahul Gandhi and the protesting leaders their desh ke dushman.
01:49But the BJP is now raising the issue saying this is not just an insult to one Sikh leader.
01:54It's an insult to Sikh community.
01:56Calling Bittu a traitor.
01:57Union Petroleum Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, he joins me on India first in a moment from now
02:05to explain how calling Bittu a traitor or my traitor friend is an insult to the Sikh community.
02:12We'll just come to the minister in a moment.
02:14I'm Gaurav Sawant as always.
02:16Let's get started with the headlines on India first.
02:25No PM Modi speech in Lok Sabha amid ruckus.
02:27Women opposition MPs get out.
02:29The Prime Minister's chair Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi hurl scared jive at the Prime Minister.
02:34BJP hits back saying this is a bid to attack the Prime Minister inside parliament.
02:42And it's book versus book in parliament after Rahul Gandhi doubles down on his attack based
02:49on the memorials of former army chief general Narwane.
02:52BJP MP Nishikand Dube counters with several books citing scandals of the Congress party from
02:58the times of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Bofors under Ajit Gandhi.
03:07Sardar versus Gaddar jibes fly thick and fast.
03:10Rahul Gandhi takes a traitor jive at Union Minister Ravneet Bittu who hits back with
03:15Desh ke Dushman counter-attack.
03:18BJP demands an apology from Rahul Gandhi for insulting the brave Sikh community.
03:30Supreme Court issues notice to the Election Commission on Mamata Banerjee's
03:33anti-special intensive revision of electoral roll plea.
03:37Supreme Court says poll panel must file its reply by Monday.
03:42Bengal government to give a list of officials on poll duty.
03:45Supreme Court notice also to Bengal poll panel.
03:48Maitei leader Yungnam Thimchan Singh takes oath as Manipur chief minister.
03:59Two deputy chief ministers also sworn in.
04:02Manipur BJP MLN cookie leader Neemcha Kipgen and senior NPP leader Lossi Dekho are the new
04:10deputy chief minister.
04:20So parliament was stalled for the third day in a row today as yet another political flashpoint
04:26added fuel to that disruption fire.
04:28Sardar versus gaddar politics escalated and in the hour of a storm is leader of opposition
04:34in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi who called Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu
04:39a traitor.
04:40My traitor friend.
04:42Bittu hit back immediately calling the LOP and protesting MPs Desh ke Dushman.
04:46But this war of words has now snowballed into a larger political conspiracy with BJP accusing
04:52Rahul Gandhi of insulting the Sikh community and Sikh leaders across the BJP not only
04:58demanding action against Rahul Gandhi but also an apology from the Congress has rejected
05:02the charge.
05:03The Congress in fact has doubled down.
05:04They've counterattacked the BJP.
05:07We get you both.
05:08Of course Union Minister Hardi Puri joins me in a moment from now.
05:10But before that, this report.
05:13Here is a traitor walking right by.
05:17Gaddar.
05:21Desh ke Dushman.
05:25A bitter banter between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu
05:31who used to be in the Congress once.
05:34It all happened when Rahul Gandhi went to greet suspended opposition MPs protesting at
05:39the Makar Dwar outside Parliament.
05:41Just then, the Union Minister approached the stairs to enter the House.
05:46Rahul took a jibe with Bittu calling him a traitor.
05:48Here is a traitor walking right by.
05:53Take a look at your face.
05:54Look what it looks like.
05:55Hello brother.
05:56My traitor friend.
05:57The comments by Rahul Dhru laughs from opposition MPs.
06:01It was then Bittu's turn to hit back.
06:04He called the opposition anti-nationals.
06:07Karandar, Karandar.
06:09Karandar, Karandar.
06:10Karandar, Karandar.
06:11Karandar, Karandar.
06:12Karandar, Karandar.
06:12Karandar, Karandar.
06:12Karandar, Karandar.
06:12Karandar, Karandar.
06:13Karandar, Karandar.
06:13Karandar, Karandar.
06:14Karandar, Karandar.
06:39but then why do you want him to come back if he's a traitor no it's a mindset desecration of golden
06:50temple 1984 or day in and day out first it happened to be out of the country so
07:01and the Congress rubbished BGB
07:31the Sikh community and Congress shared a strained past due to the 1984 riots that killed thousands
08:00of Sikhs in Delhi after Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards the Congress later gave India its
08:07first and only Sikh Prime Minister in Manmohan Singh but the ghost of 1984 still haunt the Gandhis
08:15the face-off between Rahul Gandhi and Ravneet Bittu has now sparked what many would call
08:21a needless controversy with Piyush Mishra and Maushami Singh we are a report India today
08:27and joining me now on India first is Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri former top diplomat and
08:42author Mr. Puri welcome uh why is the BJP so upset sir with the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi
08:49calling minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu my traitor friend
08:53uh Gaurav ji I don't think it is the BJP alone that is uh upset I think the whole country is upset
09:05the Sikhs are a small community less than 2% of our population I think about 1.5 or 1.6% of our population
09:13we are a proud people 20% of the armed forces have turban Sikhs serving in them I was deeply troubled
09:21as a Sikh as a proud Sikh that a member of my community is labeled a traitor by whom by somebody
09:29who should have known better he was a member of his party okay you can be upset that Mr. Ravneet Singh Bittu
09:35left the congress and joined the BJP but so of so many others I've got so many of my friends and
09:41colleagues in Punjab who were earlier in the congress who are here now today I did a press conference and
09:47two of my other colleagues on the press conference were one was with the congress Mr. Lovely the other
09:53Sirsaji was with the Akalis now you can change parties but political language political discourse
10:03both within the house and outside has to be couched in civility it has to be couched in
10:11dignity you can't call somebody a traitor the word traitor means that you have committed treason against
10:17the state against your country against your nation and I find that completely unacceptable
10:23and I think Mr. Rahul Gandhi whose family was responsible for the desecration of the golden
10:28temple in 1984 should know better I know he was not too young then must have been 14 or 15 years old
10:35why did he go and use language like this so you you're saying a discourse has to be civil it has to
10:42be polite and I completely agree sir but Mr. Ravneet Bittu also shot back calling Rahul Gandhi leader of
10:47opposition or words to their effect sir so is that appropriate calling leader of opposition enemy of
10:54the nation I think I think Ravneet Bittu was too polite what happens is that Ravneet Bittu they tried to
11:05ambush he was coming up the stairs just before the parliament session commenced this morning and Rahul
11:13Ji the Honorable Leeper of opposition reached out to put out his hand and said here is a traitor my
11:21friend or something why are you coming back so Ravneet Bittu didn't take his hand he said instead he said
11:27you are now anybody who insults a community look Ravneet Bittu's grandfather a former chief minister of
11:37Punjab Siddharth Biyansingh fell to an assassin's bullet so if Rahul Gandhi claims that certain
11:44degree of sacrifice certain sacrifice in his country by from his family so is Mr. Bittu so to call somebody
11:51like that a traitor I think he's in very poor taste I find the language unacceptable and I think Mr. Bittu's
11:57response was absolutely the correct one okay but the fact that you also you know calling him you know
12:04Rahul Gandhi calling Ravneet Bittu my traitor friend linking it to the attack on the Harmandar Sahib to
12:10the Darwar Sahib sir go on sir uh you know my point you can you can use a you can call somebody a
12:23no whatever your point you have got of I respect that you're a journalist you're a senior journalist
12:28but you don't call somebody a traitor you can say oh you know you left me you so and so but
12:36you don't call a traitor has a very serious implication unless you're not familiar with the
12:41nuances of the language a traitor means somebody who has committed treason against the nation the
12:47Sikhs have been in the forefront of fighting for the nation I reminded them about the 350th birth
12:54anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur about you know the Shahadat of the uh uh you know sahabzadas the fact
13:02that a lot of Sikhs take great pride in having sacrificed of having been matter matter for the life
13:10Guru Gobind Singh Ji's life is full of that when the Khalsa was established so I'm afraid Mr. Rahul Gandhi
13:16has some answering to do sir but the congress is not backing down uh sir the congress party is hit back in
13:22fact Pawan Kheda uh he he's doubling down on this he's called Ravneet Bittu a lowly traitor who sold
13:29ideology for power or words to that effect in fact Supriya Srinath uh congress party leader and
13:34spokesperson she said you know Ravneet Bittu tum gaddar oh gaddari ki saza Punjab ki janta ne
13:40tummeh di uh you know 2024 elections he lost from Ludhiana
13:47look look let me just put something to you
13:51Ravneet Bittu his family lineage his own standing and I don't think he needs certificates from Pavankhera
13:58so whether it's Supriya Srinathay or anything I don't want to get into that that's a political
14:03sacrifice you are very upset that somebody was a part of you went there but listen to me
14:08do you endorse the use of language like this traitor I don't think Mr. Pavankhera or Ms. Supriya
14:18ji have applied their mind as far as I am concerned it's an open and shut case they should introspect
14:25there has to be deep anguish there all right desecration of golden temple was bad enough I don't
14:30know how Sikhs can even be seen with them but in today's day and age you saw the reaction not only
14:36from the bjp but Sikhs all over the world are reacting to that and finding it unacceptable that's
14:42all I can say to you okay but you know the congress says all of this is bjp's manufactured outrage um
14:49you know and it's very clever diversionary tactics from issues that um that Rahul Gandhi as leader of
14:56opposition is trying to raise on the floor of the house you know he's trying to raise general
14:59mm manoj bukun narwane's book um uh on on galwan uh he claims that the prime minister's fear or indo-us
15:07trade deal those issues the focus is shifting from there and coming on to this this outrage sir
15:15no let me let let me let me uh take whatever you are saying if the congress is saying it i am amused
15:22if the bjp can manipulate a situation to the extent that it can get rahul gandhi to use these words
15:30then i must say that bjp is either a ventriloquist we can uh you know like a puppet get him to say and
15:36it speaks very poorly how could the bjp manipulate this this i think is reflective of a deep rooted
15:43angst bordering on hatred for the sikhs that he is able to say this i mean you look at the uh opinions
15:48of other sikhs there how can the bjp make mr rahul gandhi said okay now once he said it once he said
15:55it now they're trying to find their way out no bjp is manufactured the sikhs are being look the sikhs
16:01cannot be manipulated by anyone we are right proud people hard working people may be a little emotional
16:10but i think to suggest that the bjp has manufactured this is not correct in so far as diverting attention is
16:16concerned i was in the house at five o'clock do you know what happened the congress's own mps came
16:22and blocked the entrance on the side see what their conduct has been so let us get this clinically
16:29straight today the congress has a lot to answer for and this issue isn't going away whatever the congress
16:36says okay i mean this clearly is an issue that that is being talked about very extensively and and in
16:44in different parts of the country uh including in punjab but what i also want to understand from you
16:49when the congress party says rahul gandhi is not being permitted to speak on the floor of the house
16:54as leader of opposition but bjp mp your colleague sir nishikan dubai he's been allowed to speak quote from
17:02books quote excerpts from books priyanka gandhi vadra says that this blatant double standards are being
17:07followed different rules for the treasury benches and the opposition no i i think i think i think
17:15gaurav ji we are digressing from the fact mr gandhi was quoting from a book which hasn't been published
17:22mr nishikan dubai had other i don't want to get into that debate i don't think in this debate today
17:27i told you what i saw in the house myself at five o'clock i was present and we had a very interesting
17:33situation the congress members got into the well they didn't even allow the passage where our leaders
17:39walk in so if they have disrupted the house anything else is just baloney so let me just tell you i think
17:46they will have to answer this message about uh traitor i think it has traveled quite far and i think some
17:56anguished introspection is required by the congress it would be better just to
18:00you know say that it was we are very sorry and this is not it that is not it but to you know
18:05double down on this i don't think that's good uh political strategy by them okay because they say
18:11that a proud sick late dr manmohan singh became prime minister of india and their bar wasn't aimed
18:18at the sick community it was aimed at one individual who they feel was a traitor to their cause or their
18:25party uh who according to them just switched uh uh you know flanks from the congress to the bjp
18:31in their view for power no no no i think i think i think i i think gaurav we are expanding this
18:37conversation way beyond the use of the word traitor how this how the congress party dealt with uh
18:44see dr manmon singh is another issue do you want to remember should i remind you you know the cabinet
18:50passed an ordinance and mr rahul gandhi didn't care who the prime minister was in a press conference
18:56he tore up the ordinance so let's not go into those things i should i tell you what other members of the
19:02sikh community have said about uh the congress party let's not catalog that today the disc what is here
19:08for discussion is a word traitor has been used if you use that against mr bittu whose own grandfather
19:14fell to an assassin's bullet and what the reaction in the sikh community is i would advise the congress
19:19party and anyone who's listening into your program that they should be very careful political discourse
19:26is not carried out through language like this and will the bjp continue to raise this in parliament
19:33even tomorrow uh the congress continues uh and if the congress continues in their way
19:43i can i can tell you very clearly that i am here to respond to a particular question
19:48how will the congress party behave i cannot hold them to account in so far as the bf bjp will do
19:54everything it can to bring such use of language and such obstructionist behavior to everybody's
20:02notice and thank you very much mr haddeep singh puri for joining me here on this india today's special
20:08broadcast many thanks thank you very much
20:20so hardi puri wants rahul gandhi to apologize now bjp sources are telling india today that the bjp is
20:27planning nationwide protests against leader of opposition in loksawa rahul gandhi and his remarks
20:33calling ravneet singh bittu my traitor friend the bjp is planning to organize protests not just in
20:40delhi and in punjab but across the country and this isn't restricted just to a day-long protest tomorrow
20:46but will continue till rahul gandhi apologizes there are demonstrations that are expected as the bjp scales
20:54up its attack saying and insisting this isn't about an individual this is about insulting the sick
21:00community and they want rahul gandhi to apologize now i want to once again take you back to what's
21:06happening in parliament so you saw those images of protests that happened outside the congress party
21:11headquarters you saw what's happened at the makar dwar the entrance of parliament now i want to take you
21:17inside the parliament and here was another fight books versus books so while rahul gandhi waived
21:26um former army chief general manoj mukund narwane's book his memoirs that the bjp says remain unpublished
21:34inside the loksapa bjp mp nishika dubai he escalated the showdown and he came with multiple books
21:41targeting the congress party and the nehru gandhi family their legacy with alleged scams despite being
21:49reminded of the same rule 349 that ruckus spiraled papers were torn once again flung in the direction
21:56of the speaker priyanka gandhi wadra actually slammed not just the bjp for the disruptions but then she
22:02also raised questions that why is it that rule 349 is applied on rahul gandhi he's not allowed to speak
22:07the same rule 349 why is it that nishikan dubai is permitted to speak and from pandit jawaharlal
22:15nehru to indera gandhi to rajiv gandhi continue to level allegations one after the other we get you
22:22more in this report
22:23turn papers loud slogans adjournments and a full-blown showdown in parliament
22:50not over the budget not over the president's address but over books
22:59even as the budget session is underway and the discussion around the president's address continues
23:03politics is revolving around everything except the agenda of the day
23:14outside parliament congress mp staged a protest with leader of the opposition raul gandhi waving
23:19the memoir of former army chief general mm naravani
23:24every youngster in india should see that this book exists
23:28this is mr naravane's book naravane ji ki kitab
23:31and i said that i can't quote this book
23:36i will go physically and handle this book so he can read it
23:39but the biggest storm erupted inside the lok sabah bgp mp nishikan dubai in what can only be described
23:51as a book barrage arrived with nearly 10 books targeting the congress the neerogandhi family
23:57and all their history of alleged scams
23:59this book is
24:04and
24:06this book is
24:12The chair repeatedly reminded Dubey that he is not permitted under Rule 349, but his
24:36microphone was not switched off and the approach spiralled with papers being torn and thrown.
24:41And within minutes, proceedings were disrupted again, forcing yet another adjournment.
24:49Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi hit out sharply at the BJP, accusing the government of using
24:54Nishikand Dubey as a deliberate disruptor.
24:57Dubey remains defiant, says that multiple books targeting the Nehru Gandhi family were banned
25:13by earlier Congress governments and called for a discussion in the House on the same.
25:47So while the nation expects debate on the budget, jobs and inflation,
25:55parliament is stuck in a different fight.
25:59Book versus book, slogans versus slogans, as politics reigns supreme.
26:06With Piyush Mishra in parliament, Bureau Report, India Today.
26:17Book versus book, let me now throw it open for a wider discussion.
26:19Bhavya Narasimha Murthy is the national spokesperson of the Congress Party.
26:23Siddharth Yadav represents the Bharatiya Janta Party.
26:26Aarti Jairath is a senior journalist and a political commentator,
26:29as is Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior research fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.
26:35Bhavya Narasimha Murthy, is it civility or decency calling a fellow member of parliament a traitor
26:42or my friend traitor or words to that effect, madam?
26:47You know, most importantly, let me be honest, I was really very interested in this debate
26:53because I want to make one statement before everything else.
26:58Whether it is about Nishikan Dubey or all these issues,
27:01this is only, Nishikan Dubey was one of these minions who was sent by Narendra Modi
27:06to save his face because he couldn't come to parliament to face the real issues.
27:11Real issues like why his name is in Epstein's file.
27:14Real issues like why MNREGA thing is not discussed.
27:18Why people died in indoor drinking contaminated water.
27:22All these issues.
27:23U.S. trade deal.
27:25Where we have a lot of questions.
27:27Why that?
27:27It's like totally different from what Trump announced yesterday.
27:31The Secretary of State announced and what Piyush Goyal is speaking today.
27:35It's like contrary to this.
27:37There are so many important questions here.
27:39But all he had to do is, from his rule book, took out the rule where, you know,
27:46he can bring in Nehru, send in these minions like Nishikan Dubey to disrupt the whole thing
27:53and save his face.
27:56Now that you've said that, would you want to answer my question?
27:59Because my question to you was very specific.
28:01Is this civility or decency calling a fellow member of parliament my traitor, friend or words to that effect, madam?
28:09Because he is a traitor.
28:12If people are not ready to answer the real issues, when national security is in risk,
28:20then it is the duty of opposition to point it out.
28:24And when you do not, even the speaker for that matter, he is not letting the opposition leader even speak.
28:32He lets Nishikan Dubey speak for five minutes.
28:35How just is that?
28:37You don't allow the leader of opposition to speak.
28:39You bring out all the rules.
28:40He is speaking about the present, about the real issues.
28:43You don't want him to speak.
28:44You don't want him to speak about national security.
28:46You don't want to speak about the book written by the ex-manager.
28:48Siddharth Yadav, okay for the BJP to label any leader, especially leader of opposition
28:56or other protesting MPs, Desh ke Dushman, but be outraged if Rahul calls Bittu, my traitor friend, Siddharth Yadav.
29:08Gaurav, I think, I can't understand how big of an irony it would be
29:13that you're asking a question about civility to a Congress spokesperson.
29:16Who's calling an elected member of parliament, a member of the Lok Sabha, a minion on your show?
29:23Is this civility?
29:24Is this what Congress party's politics is about today?
29:27Because that's in your rule book.
29:28Is this what Congress party thinks is healthy in a democracy?
29:32Madam, I was not speaking while you were speaking.
29:34Have the courtesy to hear me out.
29:36You have said enough.
29:37You said enough.
29:38I was hearing you patiently.
29:39Now, have the courtesy to hear me out.
29:41The reality is the Indian politics is hitting a new low every day, Gaurav.
29:47The Indian politics is hitting a new low every day because of leaders like Rahul Gandhi and their spokespersons like the madam sitting on your show.
29:54You think that it's alright to call elected members of parliament millions and you think it's alright to call a union minister who comes from the Sikh community, that community which has laid down life and blood and sweat to save this motherland, a traitor and you think that's alright?
30:11I am sorry.
30:12I am sorry.
30:13We are on different pages.
30:14We cannot be on the same page.
30:15We cannot be on the same page.
30:16I am very sorry.
30:17You are calling a Sikh leader of this country.
30:20Don't play this community card here.
30:22He was talking to the individual.
30:24He is talking to the individual.
30:25He is talking to the individual.
30:26He is talking to the individual.
30:27He did not.
30:28Don't play your community card.
30:29Don't play your community card.
30:30Yes.
30:31While this woman was speaking, I did not utter a word.
30:33One by one.
30:34He is and Gaurav from office.
30:35One by one.
30:36I am sorry.
30:37I reclaimed my 30 seconds.
30:38Don't play your community card.
30:39He was addressing the person, not the community.
30:41Ma'am, Mr. Yadav did not interrupt when you were speaking.
30:44My request to you ma'am is permit him to complete his point.
30:47I will come back to you.
30:48Okay.
30:49He did not interrupt when you were speaking ma'am.
30:51Go on sir.
30:55Gaurav, I think this has become a new fashion for the Congress party.
30:58You don't let the parliament conduct in a proper manner.
31:00You don't let debates conduct in a proper manner.
31:02What has happened?
31:04What has happened to this Rahul's Congress?
31:06Rahul Gandhi is calling a leader of the Sikh community,
31:10a union minister of our country,
31:13a traitor.
31:15A sardar cannot be a gaddar.
31:18Sardar gaddar nahi hote.
31:20But this, you know, this mindset of the Congress party
31:23and this mindset of the Gandhi family,
31:25you know, which comes from entering into the golden temple
31:30and bead bhi karna.
31:33And after that 1984 riots,
31:35the massacre that the Sikh community had to face.
31:38And now in 2026, you stand on the stairs of the temple of our democracy
31:42and call someone a traitor.
31:44On what account?
31:46So many leaders have left your party.
31:48You welcome them back.
31:49Alkal Namba, your leader left the party.
31:51You welcomed her back.
31:52Is she a traitor?
31:53Parties like TNC, NCP, all of them are factions from the Congress party.
31:58All of them left.
31:59But you don't call them a traitor.
32:01But you choose to call a Sikh leader a traitor.
32:03This is the mindset.
32:04And this is unacceptable, Gaurav.
32:06Unacceptable.
32:07Let me bring in Aarti Jairat.
32:08You cannot do this.
32:09You cannot do this.
32:10But Rahul Gandhi thinks so high of himself.
32:11He thinks…
32:12Absolutely.
32:13Mr. Tana Shahi is desh…
32:14That's why he chooses to do this.
32:16Sir, you made your point.
32:17Aarti Jairat, has Rahul Gandhi given the BJP an issue on a platter?
32:21Why call Bittu a traitor…
32:23My traitor friend…
32:24Or what's to that effect, Aarti Jairat?
32:26Well, firstly, I think, Gaurav…
32:29You know, we have to put that remark in a context.
32:32I don't think he was calling him Dej Dhruvi.
32:34He was calling him traitor to the Congress party
32:36because he left the Congress party on the eve of the elections,
32:40joined the BJP and got elected on a BJP ticket.
32:43So, Rahul Gandhi is calling him a traitor in that context.
32:47And he added that you will come back to the Congress.
32:51So, it was very clear what the context was.
32:53The BJP is obviously trying to gain political mileage
32:56because Punjab elections are coming up in 2027.
32:59And they would like to make political, you know,
33:02sort of harvest out of this.
33:04But, you know…
33:05Which is why my question…
33:06The Congress has given an issue on a platter to the BJP
33:09instead of keeping the focus either on General Narwane's book
33:12or on the Indo-US deal as, you know, Bhavya was just pointing out.
33:16We have to see how this plays out.
33:18But I want to make two quick points.
33:20Yes, ma'am.
33:21One is that it is absolutely unprecedented
33:24that the Prime Minister is not allowed to give his reply
33:28to the motion of thanks for the President's address.
33:31I don't think in all the years that I've covered Parliament
33:34this has ever happened before.
33:36And I think this is really a matter of shame
33:39that the Prime Minister was not allowed to speak.
33:42Secondly, I am very disturbed by the fact that Parliament seems to become a forum for name-calling.
33:49You had Tejasri Surya accusing Rahul Gandhi of being anti-national.
33:53Rahul Gandhi hitting back.
33:55Then, you know, now this whole traitor lob coming.
33:58I mean, you know, what is this?
34:00Is this Parliament which is meant for debate?
34:02Or is Parliament meant for name-calling?
34:05And I think today...
34:06It's the temple of democracy.
34:07You're absolutely right.
34:08You're absolutely right.
34:09Today, Mishikar Bhavya took it to a new low when he pulls out these books
34:14and he goes back into history and talks about debauchery of Congress leaders.
34:20I mean, Gaurav, is this what Parliament has been reduced to?
34:24I think this is something, you know, we need to resolve.
34:27Otherwise, the whole system is going to crash.
34:30In fact, that's the question I'm coming to.
34:32That's the question on resolution.
34:34And, you know, we report on conflict and conflict resolution.
34:38It's happening in our midst in the temple of democracy.
34:41But, Abhijit, is this Rahul Gandhi's self-goal?
34:44You know, everyone sympathizes with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi-Wadra.
34:49They've lost their father to terror, grandmother to terror.
34:52Ravneet Bittu is again a victim of terror.
34:54He's lost his grandfather, Sardar Bayan Singh, to terror.
34:57Completely uncalled for attack on Ravneet Bittu.
35:00Or it's banter between colleagues and ex-party men?
35:05Look, calling somebody a traitor is never banter.
35:08But since Ms. Jairath wanted to bring in context,
35:11let me bring some more context in.
35:13On the 1st of January, 1923,
35:16a gentleman called Motilal Nehru,
35:18along with another gentleman called Chitaranjan Das,
35:21left the Congress
35:23in protest against a gentleman called Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
35:28and made a party called the Swaraj Party,
35:30which then contested, which criticized the Congress
35:32and contested the elections.
35:34So, I'm wondering if Rahul Gandhi would consider Mr. Motilal Nehru
35:39also to be a traitor to the Congress then.
35:41Number one.
35:42Number two.
35:43I think there are lots of Congress old guard themselves
35:46who would consider Rahul Gandhi a traitor to the nationalist ideas of the Congress.
35:49Remember, this is called the Indian National Congress.
35:52It taught us what it taught Indians what nationalism was.
35:55Today, the scion of that family and the leader of the party is telling you that nationalism is bad.
36:05Anything to do with national pride is bad.
36:08Basically, you have to be a globalist, internationalist.
36:11So, many people would say he has betrayed the ideals of the Congress.
36:15He has betrayed the ideals of his grandmother.
36:17He has betrayed the ideals of his great grandfather.
36:19I think in terms of traitor, Rahul Gandhi needs to be very careful because that is an epithet that can equally be applied to him ideologically and to his great great grandfather.
36:29Okay, both Aarti Jairath and Bhavya Narsip Amuti want to respond.
36:32Can I please get this?
36:33Yes, Bhavya wants to quickly respond.
36:34Go on ma'am.
36:35I can't believe Abhijit just compared this person Bittu with Nehru.
36:40This is like uncomparable.
36:43Mottilal Nehru gave all his property to the Congress for the freedom struggle.
36:50Do you get that?
36:51And his son spent years, his youthful years in jail for the country.
36:57Do you get that?
36:58Are you comparing Bittu with Mottilal Nehru?
37:00Are you seriously out of your mind?
37:03Are you out of your mind or even compared that?
37:06And your nationalism part.
37:08We are a Manu Waadi party.
37:10They are a complete Manu Waadi party.
37:12They believe we are somehow that they are moving.
37:14One by one.
37:15Sir, just let Bhavya complete a point and I'll come to you.
37:19Just let Bhavya complete a point, sir.
37:22This is just an exception.
37:24I'm afraid of Abhijit, Abhijit, listen to me.
37:27Amhijit, listen to me.
37:29Amhijit, listen to me.
37:30Amhijit, listen to me.
37:31Next time when you compare, please use a little bit of your grace cell.
37:35One by one.
37:36Please use your grace cell before comparing personalities.
37:38One by one.
37:39That is Mottilal Nehru, for God's sake, who gave his property, hold property to the freedom struggle.
37:44He is not superior.
37:46And his son spent his youthful years in jail for the country.
37:52Alright? So before comparing, what are you even comparing?
37:56Then it was the ideological difference. Today this person left Congress, then it was ideological difference.
38:04Here this person quit Congress either because BJP blackmailed him or created him.
38:12Are you seriously Siddharth Yadav into this conversation? I want to move forward because there are multiple points that I want to raise.
38:18Okay, okay, all faders down, Siddharth Yadav. You know, the point that the Congress party is also raising is let the opposition speak, let at least the leader of opposition speak.
38:27If treasury benches won't let the leader of opposition speak in parliament, then they say we will not let the prime minister or the treasury benches speak.
38:36There has to be a resolution, sir. Why not let LOP speak?
38:40Gaurav, just please allow me 20 seconds to respond to my learned friend from Congress party.
38:48I want to just highlight the kind of mentality congressmen have today.
38:53How can you compare Bittu with Nehru?
38:56Who was Bittu? Bittu's grandfather had just laid his life for the country, but he didn't do wine and dine, so you can't compare him with Nehru.
39:05Bittu has no contributions. Bittu is a union minister of our country, but how can you compare? Don't compare.
39:12This mindset of the Congress party that Rahul Gandhi and the entire Gandhi family is above everything.
39:18You know, they are on cloud nine. Everybody in this country is just peasants.
39:26This is the problem. This allows them to call people traitor. This is point number one.
39:30Point number two, Gaurav, on the question that you asked. Who is stopping the LOP to speak?
39:35Who is stopping? Is he the only elected members of the Congress party?
39:39I tell you, forget everybody else. I forget everybody else. The family, in the family only,
39:46there's a leader called Priyanka Gandhi. In the last session, she spoke for so long.
39:51Did anybody interrupt? The problem is that the LOP of this country today thinks that the parliament has
39:57to function according to his will. He thinks that if he stands in the parliament,
40:01everybody has to stay mum, everybody has to bow down, everybody has to listen to what Rahul Gandhi is
40:07saying. I am sorry. We are a democracy. We are a 21st century Bharat. Parliament is the temple of
40:13democracy. It will function according to rules. If you can't quote a book which is unpunished,
40:18you can't quote a book. You can't do it if you are Rahul Gandhi. Sorry, go and tell this to your
40:23party members. Go and tell this in front number. But you can't do it in parliament. This is the reality
40:28we can't accept. Such hypocrites, these BJP people are. Such hypocrites. You know who stopped the leader
40:33of opposition from speaking in parliament? The speaker who is acting like a puppet of the ruling
40:39government. He turned his mic off. He did not allow him to quote a book from an ex-army chief. He doesn't
40:47trust him. But he allowed Mishika and Dubey to quote from a random author's book today for five
40:53minutes. A book which is not published. You are hypocrites. Where is the book? How can you
41:00quote something which is not published? You didn't allow that book to be presented. You didn't allow
41:03that book to be published. Okay. By you people. What are you saying? If a book is not published,
41:10it is not published. It cannot be quoted in the parliament. It's as simple as that. Okay. Okay. Okay. Hold on for a
41:15moment. Hold on for a moment. I want to bring in Aarti Jairat because perhaps these are the kinds of
41:20scenes that we are also witnessing in parliament. And Aarti Jairat, you know, there's always a back
41:25channel. The parliamentary affairs minister would reach out to the leader of opposition or somebody
41:30in the opposition. There would be a meeting in the speaker's office over a cup of tea and parliament
41:35has excellent tea. None of that appears to be happening. Are the battle lines, are the divisions too sharp?
41:42Is there no common meeting ground now? It looks like that, Gaurav. And that's what is so tragic.
41:48That, listen, to resolve this, both sides have to step back a little bit. Only then can you have a
41:56compromise. But both sides seem to be absolutely, you know, stubborn and obstinate and stuck on their
42:04positions. So how do you resolve this? And you're right about back channels. Back channels have always
42:11been there. And that's how parliament has managed to function for the last 75 years. Where are those
42:17back channels today? They seem to have disappeared. There is no interlocutor anymore who can sit down
42:24with the opposition party and parties actually, because in this case, all the opposition parties
42:31were united. And that's how the prime minister was not allowed to speak today. But, you know, I mean,
42:36it is really a fact. And that's unprecedented. You know, the way the
42:39women MPs from opposition, they went to the treasury benches. I have never seen this. I have never in the
42:4630 years that I have covered parliament, I have never seen this kind of thing where the prime
42:51ministers stopped from speaking. But I think... I want to play out. Look at those images. Look at those
42:57images. All the opposition MPs at treasury benches. The government was actually caught unprepared. I
43:03don't think they anticipated this kind of unity. And this is what they would do. And actually,
43:09it speaks quite poorly of the government's floor management, that they were not able to anticipate
43:15this and stop it. Because at the end of the day, it is humiliation of the prime minister. And I think
43:21that is something the government should have avoided. Should have definitely avoided. And it is very sad
43:28that the opposition managed to get away with this. No. And tomorrow, what happens at 11 o'clock?
43:34Tomorrow, Abhijitai or Mitra, because there is this Lakshman Rekha between a legitimate protest and
43:40what the BJP describes as misconduct inside the Lok Sabha. Has that Lakshman Rekha now been crossed?
43:48It has, Kauram. Sorry, let me reply. It has been crossed. Lakshman Rekha has been crossed.
43:54It's been crossed. Please, Abhijit, carry on. Okay, Abhijit.
43:58No, I don't think it is. I think all protest in parliament is legitimate, including these ladies
44:04protesting. Look, it's a tactic you use. Is there any particular rule in the book that says you can't use
44:08this tactic? No, it is all allowed in parliament. So I don't think anybody, I don't think any red
44:14line has been crossed. I don't think any, I don't think any of the rules of decorum or whatever
44:21are covered in this particular protest. I think it's a particularly legit protest. And I, for one,
44:27I mean, I understand where Ms. Jairath is coming from, that she's very frustrated with
44:32parliament functioning this way. But I mostly watch parliament for entertainment,
44:36and I can tell you I'm getting my money's worth. Oh, no, we watch it because that's the temple of
44:40our democracy. That's not what parliament is meant for.
44:42Yes. Parliament is not meant for entertainment, Abhijit.
44:45I know, because I watch parliament because I really want to know what our laws have been made for me.
44:49Somebody who has watched parliament for so many years, you know, I expect more than it. I expect
44:55not. I mean, you look at the single there, you look at the discipline that you expect. Absolutely.
45:01You know, if I may, because this is the temple of our democracy. This is where we see our lawmakers.
45:06They represent us. They make laws for us. And this is where I want to know where my government is
45:11moving forward. What do you, I want to see the opposition for the government on the mat and the
45:15government respond to the opposition. But Bhavya Nirmamurthy, you know, it's now just protest versus protest.
45:21So Congress will raise General Narwaneh's book. The BJP will say that Congress has insulted Sikhs,
45:27or then the BJP will come out with this long list of alleged corruption from Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi.
45:32Where does it leave people like us? Where is, you know, where are our laws being made?
45:40First, I want to say, ma'am, you spoke about the prime minister's humiliation because the female
45:45MPs went and protested, right? But I think that was not humiliation. That's their duty. But he
45:50humiliated himself and the chair, the PM's chair, which was so respected for all these years when
45:59his name appeared on Epstein's file. There is no bigger humiliation than that to Narendra Modi as
46:05well as the PM's chair. First thing. Okay, I want to bring in Siddharth.
46:09I want to stay on the issues that are current today. Siddharth Yadav, isn't this arrogance of
46:17power, you know, BJP not reaching out to the opposition, find a middle path, let work happen.
46:23Because after all, if the opposition can't protest in the temple of democracy, you know,
46:27government runs the country. Let the opposition at least have its say in parliament, sir.
46:31Gaurav ji, you know, let me ask this question to you with all the humility. What is that the
46:41government is not doing that used to happen? Are we not having the conducting the BACs? Are we not
46:47doing an all party meet? Are we not meeting the opposition members? Is the parliamentary affairs
46:52minister not in touch with the leaders of the houses? What is it that you're not doing? And what is it that
46:58requires that the Congress party's MPs, which is unprecedented, female MPs would walk up to the
47:04chair of the prime minister? What do you have to do in power that would prevent that? What do you have
47:10to do in power so that, you know, such a kind of an act by female MPs carrying a poster of the prime
47:16minister when he's supposed to address the house after the president's address, they walked up to that
47:23seat and does not let the prime minister address the house? What do you do? I don't understand who's
47:29drawing these lines. I don't understand. We're going to watch. We just hope tomorrow the parliament
47:35functions, raise all points democratically, thrash them out democratically, you know, verbally,
47:41verbally. But we'll be tracking that story very closely. A privilege to have all of you as part of
47:47this discussion on the show. Many thanks for watching me. Welcome back news just coming in
47:56from Mumbai. A major accident was narrowly averted and this happened in Mumbai's Goregaon west area.
48:03Watch these images on your television screen. There was a massive ball of fire inside the elevator.
48:09Fortunately, no major explosion. So this incident took place as you can see in these images.
48:15It's a residential building. There was one man who moved in with a lot of balloons inside packed
48:22together. There's a lady with a bag, you know, she moves back. Two gentlemen move in and suddenly
48:29there was a loud blast, a ball of fire and everyone rushed out. I want to quickly cut across to India
48:34today's Mustafa Sheikh joining us with more on the story. Mustafa, I hope no one was injured. What happened?
48:39Well, three people were injured, as you can see in the CCTV of the lift, Anmol Tower,
48:44Goregaon west in Mumbai. You know, this is a celebration turning tragic. This was a birthday
48:50celebration. Balloons filled with hydrogen gas were taken inside. They're highly inflammable. And
48:55that's where the people used to need to understand that the decorative materials which are being used
49:00these days can actually cause harm to adults and also especially to children. In this case, you can
49:06see we don't know what triggered this blast, but the hydrogen gas supported it. It was inside a lift
49:12and you can see there were burn injuries to the three people who were there, especially the lady
49:16inside the lift because she was facing towards the balloon when this incident took place. All three of
49:21them have suffered burnt injuries, but no lives were lost, thankfully and fortunately. And that's
49:26amazing. That's why we're saying a major incident was averted. But yeah, it's a freak accident
49:30which should raise awareness about the decorative items which are used during celebration, especially
49:35with children. Back to you. Oh, absolutely. Horrifying images, Mustafa. For the moment,
49:41many thanks for joining me.
49:50Latest images that are coming in from Baluchistan. The Baluch Liberation Army has released videos of
49:57coordinated attacks on Pakistani military and paramilitary positions in Noshki. And Noshki is the
50:05area in Baluchistan where Baluch Liberation Army fighters, they not only over
50:11ran Noshki, but they took control of the District Collector's Office, abducted the Deputy Commissioner
50:17of Noshki, his assistants and several others, and they overran the city. There are some reports that
50:22seem to indicate that the Baluch fighters are still in control. Pakistan's Defense Minister Khwaja Asif,
50:28on the floor of Pakistan's National Assembly, said they are no longer in control. Um,
50:32oh, what's to that effect? That the weapons and systems that the Baluch fighters have,
50:38much better than what the Pakistan Army has. I want to quickly cut across and bring in India.
50:44Today's Pranay Upadhyay, FOMO on this Pranay. What's the latest? Attacks started on the 31st.
50:50Is the Pakistan Army still not in control, uh, of, of entire Baluchistan?
50:54Yeah, there are various disturbing reports coming from the, uh, the, uh, the Baluchistan areas of
51:00Pakistan, uh, uh, Gaurav. And these reports suggest that there are still some contested areas,
51:05be it Noshki, and people are reporting via social media that the gunships are being used. So,
51:10you can very well make out that, you know, how heavy weaponry is being used by the Pakistan military
51:15to contain the situation there. And there are still, uh, you know, some areas where the Baluch
51:19fighters are giving them a very tough time to Pakistan military, despite, you know,
51:23Pakistan military using these heavy weaponry and, and a lot of force is being mobilized in this area.
51:28And not only Baluchistan, you also know, uh, Gaurav, that, you know, that, uh, you know,
51:32the Teraha Valley and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also, uh, you know, giving tough time to
51:37Pakistan military. And, uh, there have been, uh, you know, warnings given by the Pakistan military
51:41establishment and authority to the air, to the locals to vacate that area. And they are all prepared to,
51:47to launch another operation like Jarba, uh, Zarba Azba.
51:50But can Pakistan continue to fight on multiple fronts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa? And in Baluchistan,
51:57Baluch fighters have claimed that more than 280 Pakistani security forces personnel have been
52:02killed as part of operation HEROF 2.0. The Pakistani forces, uh, insist they've, they've killed more
52:09than 150 Baluch fighters. We'll track developments of the story very closely, but do keep in mind,
52:14Baluchistan, about 350,000 square kilometers from Kuwaita down to Gwadar and Pasni. Multiple
52:21coordinated attacks took place, some that are still on, and we'll get you more on the story. That is
52:26all I have for you on India First this evening. Many thanks for watching. News and updates continue on
52:31on India today. Stay with us.
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