Rahul, Priyanka skip Vande Mataram debate in Lok Sabha; Gogoi leads opposition's charge

"People of India are suffering and there is no mention of it. PM Modi did not mention Delhi blast once. We are not able to protect our citizens, neither in Delhi or Pahalgam. People are unable to breathe," he said.

Gogoi alleged that the BJP never sang the national anthem or unfurled the national flag in its branches. He also questioned why the Prime Minister, while delivering a long speech, did not mention the recent Delhi blast even once.

The Congress MP argued that Vande Mataram frightened the British and asked when the BJP’s “political ancestors” had done anything comparable.

As per the schedule for the 'Vande Mataram' debate, the ruling NDA members have been allotted three hours out of the total 10 hours earmarked in Lok Sabha for it.

Gogoi slammed the BJP saying the party has little understanding of Bengal and labels everything as ‘Bangladeshi’. He added that the BJP also failed to grasp the legacy of Bankim Chatterjee and what he stood for.

Veteran journalist Kanchan Gupta sharply criticised Gandhi for being absent from the Lok Sabha.

In a post on X, Gupta called Gandhi’s absence a “matter of abiding national shame,” noting that he had left Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi to respond in his place.

Gupta also pointed out that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was missing as well.  "He (Rahul Gandhi)  has left it to Gaurav Gogoi to do his job. Yet Rahul wants to be invited to social and diplomatic dos to grab camera and media time. A Leader of Opposition has obligations, responsibilities and duties which this arrogant Nehru Dynast high on entitlement and privilege refuses to acknowledge," he said in a post on X.

He said Gandhi is following in the footsteps of Nehru in publicly insulting and denigrating ‘Vande Mataram’.