BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma at Parliament on Monday. (Express photo by Anil Sharma)
The issues relating to the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections resonated during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President’s Address in Lok Sabha on Monday, with BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma referring to the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh and saying “people who are sitting at the protest site say they will kill the Prime Minister and the Home Minister”.
“Today, it is not a protest against CAA, people who are sitting at the protest site say that they will kill the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. They demand Jinnahwali Azadi. They raise slogans such as Pakistan Zindabad… They talk about separation of Assam and Kashmir… We will not withdraw CAA. This is the question of the country’s integration,” Verma said, while initiating the debate on the Motion of Thanks.
West Delhi MP Verma, who was recently removed by the Election Commission from the list of BJP’s star campaigners for Delhi election over an inflammatory speech, also accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia of supporting the protests at Shaheen Bagh.
Attacking the Opposition, Verma said, “Nowadays Opposition leaders are giving us lessons in Constitution… But I want to ask them where was the Constitution when an ordinance approved by the cabinet was torn apart? Where was the Constitution when Sikhs were massacred in Delhi?”
“The Opposition leaders have not read the Constitution… Perhaps this is reason they call us communal whenever we take the name of Lord Ram. They have linked Lord Ram to a particular religion. They call us communal just because of the name of Lord Ram. I have the original copy of the Constitution which contains the photos of Lord Ram, Laxman and Sita. It is in the same Constitution which was passed by B R Ambedkar and the Constituent Assembly and was signed by then leaders, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Will you call the Constitution communal?,” he said, displaying a copy of the Constitution.
Verma said the Constitution also contains photos of Krishna and Hanuman. He also asked Opposition members to say “Jai Shri Ram” and said that by raising the slogan, “all of their sins will be washed away”.
During an hour-long speech, the BJP MP also raised several issues related to the national capital and attacked the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party government.
“The Delhi Chief Minister is not giving permission to prosecute those who raised tukde-tukde slogans in JNU. The file is pending for one-and-a-half years,” Verma said, adding that Delhi government has not implemented several central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna.
Verma also hailed the Narendra Modi government’s decision to scrap Article 370 and 35A. He also highlighted development work carried out by the central government in Delhi.
Referring to the protests against CAA, BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav said, “There are some anti-Constitution and anti-national forces that have joined hands with foreign powers. They are trying to destabilise the country. They are trying to stall the development of the country… It should be investigated from this angle.”
“Who is behind forces that are trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the country? Is there an international conspiracy behind it?”
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