'Modi Jawab Do': Opposition Targets PM Modi on Minister's Hate Speech

NEW DELHI: “Modi Jawab Do” slogans rent the air in Parliament as an embarrassed, and unusually quiet Bharatiya Janata Party was effectively placed in the dock by a belligerent opposition over the “ramzaadon or haramzaadon” remarks of their minister of state Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.

Opposition leaders targeted the Prime Minister wondering why he was remaining silent on such a major issue. On Tuesday as well senior Rajya Sabha MP’s wanted to know where PM Modi was, and whether he should be granted a “visa” for Parliament. Efforts by other BJP members and ministers to douse the anger failed, with both Houses being adjourned several times over the two days as opposition members demanding the minister be sacked.

Both Congress MP Anand Sharma and CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury made it clear that Jyoti had violated the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Constitution under which she had taken the oath of office. They demanded that she be sacked and that criminal proceedings be carried out against her for her communal and divisive remarks.

Jyoti while addressing an election rally in Delhi had asked the people to decide whether they wanted to vote for a party that was full of supporters of Ram, or others who were illegitimate offsprings.

Jyoti apologised for her remarks in Parliament but the Opposition Mps made it clear that her words were certainly not an apology. Later she told reporters that after all she had apologised and did not know what more she could do. But as Yechury said, “even if we take it as an apology, it is meaningless, as she has to be sacked for violating the tenets of the Constitution of India.”

This speech was made while Parliament was in session and has united all the political parties in demanding she be sacked by PM Modi who has remained silent through the controversy. He is credited with having pulled up the BJP MPs for speaking out of turn, however, saying that he was not going to compromise on his directions advising them otherwise. BJP ministers in particular have felt the full weight of the gag order, with even the articulate spokespersons having to seek permission before making any statement. PM Modi travels alone, and campaigns alone, not allowing his own platform to be used even momentarily by his party colleagues.

The Opposition has this time succeeded in placing the BJP in the dock on Jyoti’s comments which even Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had to describe for the record as “unacceptable.” The RSS and the BJP have been completely silent on the issue, clearly under direction not to defend her at this point at least. The government’s defense that she has apologised is clearly not acceptable, with the Opposition having upped the ante with the demand that the Prime Minister should protect the Constitution and the law and sack her immediately from the Council of Ministers.