Parliamentary democracy murdered: Sonia, PM should listen to people's Mann ki baat: Rahul

Hitting out at the government, her son and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi asked the Prime MInister to listen to the "Maan ki baat of the people of India."

The angry rhetorics came as they were  leading a party protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament House.

 The Congress is boycotting the Lok Sabha for five days starting Tuesday protesting suspension of its MPs.In a rare sight, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too joined the protest.

Sonia Gandhi said : "In my opinion, parliamentary democracy is being murdered."

Rahul Gandhi, who took  a more prominent part in voicing the party's ire over Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's action, said :"The Prime Minister has a habit of sharing his 'mann ki baat'. He should also try and listen to the mann ki baat of the people of India."

He also reiterated his charge against Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, whose resignation the Congress is demanding for helping tainted cricket magnate Lalit Modi. "There is clear evidence that Sushma Swaraj has broken the law," he said.

Rahul Gandhi said the Congress would continue its protest over the demand that  Swaraj and two BJP chief ministers caught in scandals must quit. 

"It's not the demand of the Congress. It is the demand of the people of India," he said.


On Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan ordered suspension of 25 Congress lawmakers for five days for "persistently, wilfully obstructing" the House that has been in logjam for ten successive days following a bitter standoff between the Treasury and Opposition benches. 

This is the first time that so many MPs have faced disciplinary action together.

The Congress has 44 members in the Lok Sabha. The party gets support in its protest from other opposition parties like the Aam Aadmi Party, Janata Dal (United), Trinamool Congress and the Left.

Sonia Gandhi said after the Speaker ordered the suspension, "It is a dark day for democracy."

The  Congress is expected to harden its stand in what could lead to a bigger political stalemate.

The Congress-led opposition has been unrelenting in their demand for the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for their alleged help to disgraced cricket tycoon Lalit Modi and that of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for Vyapam scam.

As the BJP has also taken a tough stand against the opposition pressure the whole situation has led to a total deadlock in parliamentary business.

The government needs to push through in the current monsoon session several key bills pertaining to its avowed reforms.