Those who criticise Nehru praising him today: Priyanka

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday took a swipe at Union minister KirenRijiju for quoting Jawaharlal Nehru during a debate on the resolution seeking Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s removal, saying those who criticise India’s first prime minister day and night are now citing his remarks.

Intervening in the debate, Rijiju cited Nehru’s remarks during the debate in 1954 on the resolution to remove then speaker GV Mavalankar.

“I would beg of hon. members sitting opposite, those who have signed it and those who, in duty bound, have supported it, to read that thing which they have signed. It is a vicious thing they have signed.

I doubt whether the persons have read it before they signed it. If they had read it, they would have hesitated a hundred times before they signed that document,” Nehru was quoted as saying by Rijiju.

Rijiju also took a swipe at the Congress, saying if Priyanka Gandhi had been made the LoP, the performance would have been better.

“Priyanka Gandhi is sitting there and is laughing. If they had made her the LoP, the performance would have been better. At least she sits in the House, listens, and also smiles,” he said.

After Rijiju’s remarks, Priyanka Gandhi said, “He (Rijiju) mentioned that I was laughing. I wanted to clear that I was laughing because of whom they keep criticising day and night, that Nehru ji, they used a quote of Nehru ji for their own argument.” “They have suddenly started respecting Nehruji and that he strengthened democracy and gave such a speech,” she said.