Rajya Sabha: Kharge-Goyal engage in war over Cong's G2 dig

Rajya Sabha also took up the discussion on the Parliamentary Journey of 75 years, starting from the Samvidhan Sabha - Achievements, Experiences, Memories, and Learnings. On the first day of the Special Session of Parliament on Monday, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar highlighted the 75 years of Parliamentary journey that have shaped the Indian democracy. Underlining the unwavering faith and unflinching belief of the masses in Parliamentary democracy, Dhankhar stressed that the success of the country’s democracy is a collective, concerted endeavour of WE THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. Recalling the decorum and healthy debate witnessed during the Constituent Assembly's deliberations, the Chairman said, contentious and highly divisive issues were negotiated in a spirit of consensus. Calling healthy debate a hallmark of a blossoming democracy,  Dhankhar cautioned against confrontational posturing, disruption, and disturbance. He also acknowledged the contributions of the country's freedom fighters, constitutional forefathers, statesmen, politicians, and civil servants who have upheld and enriched India's democratic ideals. 
Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge and BJP's Piyush Goyal engaged in a war of words in the Rajya Sabha during Parliament's special session."The democracy will be destroyed if inflation isn't controlled in time and unemployment continues to rise," Kharge told the upper house, urging the government to address the challenges facing India. Referring to the G20 summit as 'G2,'In response, Kharge humorously remarked that he confused the zero in G20 with a lotus, referring to the logo under India's presidency. Objecting to his remarks, Piyush Goyal urged Kharge not to "make fun of G20." He added, "But the leader of the opposition, who is also Congress president, only sees 2G, one ji and son ji...," in a veiled reference to former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

कांग्रेस को केवल 2-G ही दिखता है... pic.twitter.com/3TlwSnKrAD

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 18, 2023

Initiating the discussion, Union Minister and leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Piyush Goyal said, the dignity of the House will increase only when everyone keeps the interest of the country and public interest paramount. Goyal listed out historic decisions taken by Parliament like the removal of abrogation of 370, GST implementation, and abolishing the practice of triple talaq. The Minister said, all the members of Parliament must work together and play an important role in taking the country forward at a faster pace. He said, Parliament is the biggest platform to make democracy alive and strong. Mr Goyal said, the G20 Summit concluded successfully under India’s Presidency, which has left an indelible mark across the world.
Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge said, the Indian Constitution is the country's biggest guide as its constitutional values have been earned after much sacrifice and difficulty. He said that in the last 75 years, India has transformed and during this journey, several laws were enacted for the welfare of the people. He said, it includes eradication of the Zamindari system, untouchability, and making provisions of OBC reservation. Kharge said, the constitution has met the aspirations of the people. He also emphasized giving importance to the employment generation.