Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of making comments against a particular community during his speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday (1st July 2024) . Briefing the media in New Delhi this evening, Mr Vaishnaw said, people are hurt by his statement. He alleged the Leader of Opposition post comes with a lot of responsibility, however Mr Gandhi made irresponsible remarks  on the floor of the House.

The Minister also alleged that Mr. Gandhi made factually incorrect comments on the Agniveer Scheme. He said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has clarified that a financial assistance of one crore rupees is being given to Agniveers who lose their lives in the line of duty.    

Mr Vaishnaw alleged that  Congress has always tried to undermine the constitutional institutions. He said the party has only weakened and undermined Parliament and Judiciary during their tenure. The Minister also hit out at Mr Gandhi alleging that he did not give due respect to the Speaker’s Chair.

On Mr Gandhi’s statement on Ayodhya, Mr Vaishnaw clarified that one thousand 253 crore rupees compensation was given to shopkeepers of Ayodhya and steps were also taken for relocation of their shops.

During the press conference, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that BJP challenged many of the claims made by Mr Gandhi in his speech and sought action from the Speaker. He claimed that Mr Gandhi cannot get away by making misleading assertions.