Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's derogatory remark during a debate on the contentious National Education Policy (NEP) led to a massive uproar in the Rajya Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha once again turned into a battleground as tensions flared over the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP). The issue has been at the centre of a heated debate between Tamil Nadu and the central government, leading to sharp exchanges among political leaders.
During the discussion, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge made a remark that sparked immediate outrage among the ruling party members.
BJP MPs accused him of using derogatory and unparliamentary language, which they claimed was directed at the chairperson. However, Kharge clarified that his words were aimed at the government's policies, not the chairperson.
Realising the controversy his statement had caused, Kharge apologised, stating that his intention was not to disrespect the deputy chairperson. The remark, which roughly translates to "knock someone out," was later removed from the official records of the Rajya Sabha.
As the House moved to discuss the functioning of the Ministry of Education, the opposition demanded an apology from Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The demand stemmed from Pradhan's remarks against DMK MPs during the ongoing debate on the three-language formula. Opposition members criticised his words as "uncivilised" and insisted that he take them back.
The heated argument escalated when Congress leader Digvijay Singh was invited to speak, but Kharge intervened, raising the issue of Pradhan’s remarks. Calling the situation "a dictatorship," Kharge expressed his frustration as deputy chairperson Harivansh urged him to remain seated.
In the midst of the uproar, Kharge used an informal Hindi phrase to assert that the opposition would continue to challenge the government over the NEP.
The phrase was met with strong opposition from the ruling party, with BJP leader JP Nadda condemning it as inappropriate and unacceptable in parliamentary discussions.
Following repeated objections, Kharge issued an apology, stating that his remarks were never meant for the chairperson. He maintained that his words were a criticism of the government's education policies.
His apology, however, did not bring an immediate end to the tensions in the House.
Later, Kharge took to social media to further explain his position. In a post on X, he accused the government of attempting to divide the country through its policies. He also criticised Pradhan's remarks, stating that they had hurt the self-respect of a particular section of the population.
Follow us
