New Delhi, 17 April (H.S.):

Chaos erupted in the Lok Sabha today during a debate on the Women's Reservation Bill when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's use of a provocative term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew sharp condemnation from the ruling party, triggering a raucous standoff.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh branded Gandhi's statement as profoundly regrettable, issuing a vehement rebuke and asserting that it insulted not only the Prime Minister but the electorate at large. The people of India have elected the Prime Minister to this office, Singh declared, and such language is an affront to democratic values. He demanded that the offending words be expunged from the parliamentary record and that Gandhi issue an unconditional apology to the nation.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla intervened decisively, underscoring the collective duty of members to uphold the House's dignity. Remarks made on public platforms cannot be parroted verbatim in Parliament, he cautioned, urging restraint to preserve institutional decorum.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju echoed the outrage, questioning Gandhi's choice of words and reminding the House that 140 crore Indians have chosen their Prime Minister. He lambasted the remarks as a blatant violation of democratic norms.

In defense, Gandhi doubled down, pivoting to accuse the government of manipulating national politics and insisting that uncomfortable truths must be aired. The ruling benches dismissed his counterarguments as opportunistic politicking designed solely for partisan gain, further eroding the sanctity of proceedings

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar