Parts of Rahul Gandhi's explosive maiden speech as LoP slamming PM Narendra Modi expunged

Parts of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's maiden explosive speech slamming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Monday (Jul 1) session have been expunged from records. Expressing his "shock" in a letter Gandhi has asked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to restore his remarks.

According to reports, his comments on Hindus and others have been scrubbed. This comes as the Congress leader in his no-holds-barred attack accused the ruling BJP party of dividing people on communal grounds.

Maiden speech uproar

Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech as the Leader of Opposition was marked by ruckus and uproar. 

The speech, which lasted about an hour and 40 minutes, was interrupted multiple times by Modi and at least five other cabinet ministers, reports PTI.

Also read | Rahul Gandhi slams PM Narendra Modi in parliament, says ‘you’re not a Hindu’

His speech included instances of him holding up pictures of Lord Shiva, Guru Nanak, and Jesus Christ. Multiple times during the address, speaker Om Birla forbade Gandhi from showing religious pictures, even as he referred to Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Jainism to underline the importance of fearlessness.

At one point, he slammed PM Modi, who was present in the parliament, without directly naming him. He remarked, "Those who call themselves Hindu only talk about violence, hatred, untruth…Aap Hindu ho hi nahi (You are not a Hindu)".

Modi then condemned him for calling the entire Hindu community violent.

"This issue is very serious. Calling the entire Hindu community violent is a serious issue." 

Also read | ‘You bowed down to PM Modi,’ LoP Rahul Gandhi attacks Speaker Om Birla

Later, Home Minister Amit Shah demanded an apology from Gandhi for hurting the feelings of crores of people who take pride in identifying themselves as Hindus.

Rahul Gandhi demands restoration of his remarks

In a letter to Speaker Om Birla, Rahul Gandhi said, "...Shocked to note the manner in which considerable portion of my speech have been simply taken off from the proceedings under the garb of expunction...Taking off from records my considered remarks goes against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy..."

Speaking during a session of the 18th Lok Sabha, he claimed that there had been a "systematic and a full-scale assault on the idea of India, the Constitution and on the people who resisted the attack on the Constitution."

"Some of the leaders are still in jail," the Congress leader said.

"Anyone who resisted the idea of concentration of power and wealth, aggression on poor and Dalits and minorities was crushed," he stated, adding, "I was attacked by the order of Govt of India, by the order of the Prime Minister of India...The most enjoyable part of it was the 55 hours of interrogation by ED...".

(With inputs from agencies)