Opposition to continue protest against govt in black clothes today

Opposition parties will continue to stage protest wearing black clothes in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premise.

The decision was made during a dinner meet of Opposition parties at Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge's 10, Rajaji Marg, residence.

Opposition parties stepped up their offensive against the government and observed a "black day for democracy" on Monday, three days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.

Gandhi was disqualified from Parliament on March 24, a day after his conviction in a defamation case by a Surat court which also gave a two-year sentence to him. Dressed in black, opposition MPs created a ruckus in both Houses of Parliament and forced their adjournment.

They later staged a protest in the Parliament Complex and took out a march to the Vijay Chowk, raising slogans against the government over Gandhi's disqualification and on the Adani issue.

The BJP condemned the ruckus created by the Opposition in Parliament and accused the Congress of resorting to "low-level politics" in its bid to justify Gandhi's remarks against the OBC community.

Later in the evening, leaders of 18 opposition parties attended a strategy meeting at Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge's residence and discussed the way forward. Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present in the meeting.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said they did not attend the meeting in protest against Rahul Gandhi's "unacceptable" remarks against V D Savarkar.

Leaders of the Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Bharat Rashtra Samithi attended the meeting, which was followed by a dinner.

Attacking the Congress, Union minister Piyush Goyal questioned the party MPs' behaviour as they turned up in Parliament wearing black clothes and created a ruckus in both Houses. "Look at the behaviour. For the first time in several years, they (Congress MPs) tore papers and threw those at the Chair. The speaker repeatedly says he wants to run the House and that he would give everybody a chance (to speak)," Goyal said.

He said the Congress and other opposition parties are indulging in indecent behaviour in Parliament, "leaving no other option for the Chair but to adjourn the proceedings". "The BJP vehemently condemns the efforts being made by their (Congress) leaders to insult the speaker and the chairman of the two Houses again and again," Goyal said, asking, "For how long will the Congress do this low-level politics?"

with PTI inputs