Kiren Rijiju Mocks Rahul Gandhi’s 2018 Hug-and-Wink in Lok Sabha; Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Hits Back

Criticism arose regarding the opposition's no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla, with Rijiju questioning Rahul Gandhi's seriousness in dealing with parliamentary decorum.

Rijiju’s ‘Aankh Maarta Hai’ Jibe

Rijiju’s ‘Winks’ Jibe Following the well-known 2018 moment, Rijiju claimed he had never seen a leader hugging the Prime Minister and winking in connection with other MPs.

 “I have never seen somebody who hugs the prime minister and then goes back to his seat and winks at his party MPs,” Rijiju said, referring to it in Hindi as “aankh maarta hai.”

Of particular interest, neither Rahul Gandhi nor Prime Minister Narendra Modi were present in the House at the time of the debate.

And that point Rijiju was making can all be traced back to 2018 when, having said all this, Rahul Gandhi crossed the aisle and hugged PM Modi after a speech accusing the BJP of causing division and returned to his seat while giving a light wink at his colleagues.

Priyanka Gandhi Responds

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul’s sister and MP of the Congress, is at ease.

The ruling party, she said, finds it difficult to welcome Rahul’s critique, simply because he refuses to “bow down” after years of political pressure.

Priyanka also mocked BJP leadership for suddenly praising India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during the debate.

“They keep criticizing Nehru, but now they’re quoting him to put the Speaker on the defensive,” she said, smiling. 

Poetry and Political Jabs

Poetry and Political Jabs Rijiju ended his speech by reading a couplet by poet Muztar Khairabadi, which first describes the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. 

The verse had its fatalistic aspect of being “a fistful of dust with no value to anyone.”

What Triggered the Political Clash?

Now the tension arises from a motion of no confidence being filed against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla following allegations of biased conduct on the part of the Congress-led Opposition in the House. 

The controversy also concerns Rahul Gandhi quoting excerpts from ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, a draft memoir penned by former Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane, during his Budget Session.

 Rahul alleged the manuscript exposed the failures during the 2020 India-China border conflict, and the government contested that quoting an unpublished defense document in Parliament is a breach of parliamentary rules.

What Happens Next?

The debate should still be underway in Parliament and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is here to present on the motion. The trial will decide whether the Opposition’s challenge to Speaker Om Birla gains momentum.