Congress leaders continued their sit-in protest inside the Rajasthan Assembly, spending the night in the House after six party MLAs were suspended following an uproar over a BJP minister’s remarks. Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra, Deputy Leader of Opposition Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Zakir Hussain Gesawat, Hakeem Ali Khan, and Sanjay Kumar Jatav were seen sleeping on bedding inside the Assembly in defiance of their suspension.
The suspension followed heated protests over Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot referring to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as “aapki dadi” (your grandmother) while responding to a question regarding hostels for working women. The remark triggered an uproar in the Assembly, leading to three adjournments as Congress MLAs moved towards the well, demanding the statement be struck from the record.
Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully condemned the minister’s remark, calling it inappropriate, while BJP leaders defended it as non-parliamentary. Later in the day, Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg accused the opposition of crossing limits and moved a motion for their suspension for the remainder of the budget session, which was approved.
Reacting to the suspension, Jully accused the BJP of suppressing the opposition’s voice, stating that the minister’s “indecent” remarks went unpunished while Congress MLAs faced action. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also criticized the government, claiming the BJP was using suspension tactics to silence opposition voices, much like in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Gehlot further alleged that the BJP-led state government was attempting to divert attention from its failures. He questioned why Congress MLAs, including those from Dalit, backward, tribal, and minority communities, were suspended just when the opposition was set to highlight the government’s shortcomings.
In response to the suspensions, Congress has announced a statewide protest on Saturday against the BJP government’s actions.
