Shashi Tharoor Defends Rahul Gandhi, Says ‘He Never Demanded Foreign Forces To Save Our Democracy’

BJP national president J P Nadda has attacked Rahul Gandhi terming him as a "permanent part" of the "anti-nationalist toolkit.

New Delhi: With the continuous demand of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) for an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in London on democracy in India, party MP Shashi Tharoor has said that the Wayanad MP never demanded foreign forces to save our democracy. "Rahul Gandhi never demanded foreign forces come to our country to save our democracy. He hasn`t said anything he should apologise for. It`s nonsense," Tharoor said while speaking to ANI on Friday.

"Democracy, in our country, is in danger and everyone should know about it. I didn`t hear anything wrong in it", added Congress MP Tharoor. Further talking about the Parliamentary Budget session, Tharoor said, "It is the Government`s responsibility to run the Parliament.  The budget session is ongoing, there`s a need to pass Finance Bill."

"When there are such important matters, you are not allowing Parliament to function over a non-issue," added Tharoor. Earlier today, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge responding to BJP national president J P Nadda`s attack on Rahul Gandhi terming him as a "permanent part" of the "anti-nationalist toolkit" stated that the BJP, which had never taken part in the country`s freedom movement, were anti-nationals.

Kharge said, "They (BJP) themselves are anti-national. They never took part in India`s freedom movement, worked for the Britishers and they are calling others anti-national? They are doing this to deviate from issues of unemployment and inflation. Can Rahul Gandhi ever be anti-national? Are people who debate about democracy anti-national?"

Further Kharge stated that Congress and Rahul Gandhi will respond to Nadda`s salvo in Parliament. "I condemn JP Nadda`s statement. There is no point of apologising. We will give a strong reply to this in the Parliament. Rahul Gandhi Ji will himself reply on this, that`s why they (BJP) are scared. Why are they not giving him a chance to speak in Parliament," he said. 

Previously, BJP national president JP Nadda launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the UK and said that he has become a permanent part of the "anti-nationalist toolkit".

"It`s unfortunate that the Congress party is indulging in anti-national activities. After being repeatedly rejected by the nation, Rahul Gandhi has now become a permanent part of this anti-nationalist toolkit," Nadda said.

Meanwhile, the parliament has faced repeated disruptions with both BJP and opposition parties sticking to their stands. The BJP has been demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the UK while the Opposition members have been pressing for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group.