New Delhi, Oct 13 — The BJP on Tuesday slammed Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over the INDIA bloc's march to the Supreme Court, accusing him of attempting to exert political pressure on the country's highest court by mobilising crowds on the streets.
Speaking to IANS, BJP Bihar president Sanjay Saraogi said the protest was a direct insult to the judiciary and accused the Congress of turning the issue into a political spectacle.
"Rahul Gandhi is making a disgraceful attempt to put political pressure on the country's highest court by gathering crowds on the streets. This is a direct insult to the judiciary. The Chief Justice had clearly stated that political memorandums cannot be accepted in cases that are pending before the court. Despite this, staging a spectacle with Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav reflects desperation," he said.
He further said that the Supreme Court is not a stage for electoral drama.
"It is shameful to portray those who pelted stones at the police as representatives of democracy. The Supreme Court is a place where people seek justice, not a stage for Congress' electoral drama," Saraogi said.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said Opposition leaders had the right to protest but questioned their decision to march to the Supreme Court to submit a memorandum.
"Absolutely, they have this right. The Chief Justice had said that the doors of the Supreme Court are open to everyone. But has there ever been a Leader of the Opposition in the country, since Independence, whom anyone could have imagined marching against the judiciary? They are marching to the Supreme Court to submit a memorandum. Neither Rahul Gandhi has knowledge of the Constitution, nor of parliamentary traditions, nor of the independence and impartiality of the judiciary," Pal said.
He further accused the Opposition of damaging India's international image through its protests and attributed its actions to frustration over electoral defeats.
"We are not opposing, but they are trying to degrade India's image at the international level with these protests. Under the leadership of PM Modi, whether in the US or any other country, the way he is providing leadership, whether to Trump, Putin or anyone else, is noteworthy. But it is their frustration, given the way people have rejected them. On the issue of SIR, he is inviting the INDIA bloc leaders for lunch or now for tea," Pal said.
Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Pal also questioned the Opposition's criticism of the exercise, saying, "With that SIR only, he has been chosen as MP. Today, Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala have their governments."
Bihar Minister Pramod Kumar said, "The Supreme Court is not a place for protests. They went there to stage a protest, showing that they have no constitutional understanding. Rahul Gandhi is behaving like someone desperately struggling without water. Sometimes he suddenly hugs people, sometimes winks at someone, sometimes kisses someone in a public place, and at other times engages in such acts. We have never heard of protests being held inside the Supreme Court. We, too, have emerged from student movements, but we fail to understand the purpose of such a protest."