In Open Letter, 204 Signatories Ask Rahul Gandhi To Apologise Over 'Chai-Pakora' Protest Outside Parliament
The signatories including Army veterans and former ambassadors said that Gandhi's way of protest was "wholly unbecoming of members of the nation’s highest legislative body”.
Published : March 17, 2026 at 2:43 PM IST
New Delhi: A group of 204 signatories have written an open letter condemning Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's recent protest outside the Parliament against the prevailing LPG crisis, during which he was seen having tea and snacks.
The letter comes days after Gandhi, along with fellow opposition MPs, on March 12 held a protest outside the Parliament against the PM Modi-led NDA government over the prevailing LPG crisis in the backdrop of the West Asia conflict. The LoP was seen sipping tea and having snacks on the steps of the Parliament.
The letter by the signatories, including 116 retired Armed Forces officers, 84 retired bureaucrats (among them 4 former Ambassadors), and 4 senior advocates, said that Gandhi was seen sitting on the steps of Parliament having tea and biscuits “in a manner that was wholly unbecoming of members of the nation’s highest legislative body”.
The dignity of Parliament is fundamental to our democracy, not a stage for theatrics. What we witnessed recently reflects a worrying disregard for institutional norms and authority, as even basic standards of conduct within the precincts were ignored. The actions of @RahulGandhi… pic.twitter.com/rYo9u5HBZ9
— Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) March 17, 2026
“The steps of Parliament are not a venue for spectacle or political theatre. Such conduct within the precincts of Parliament represents a clear disregard for established norms of behaviour and decorum. It reflects an attitude of arrogance and entitlement, and a troubling lack of respect for an institution that embodies the democratic will of the people of India,” it read.
The signatories said that Gandhi had “repeatedly contributed to lowering the level of public discourse and decorum through theatrics both inside and outside Parliament”.
“Such actions suggest a pattern of conduct driven less by respect for democratic institutions and more by a sense of personal privilege that treats Parliament as a stage for provocation rather than a forum for serious deliberation. In the process, valuable public time and resources are lost,” added the letter.
The signatories said that parliamentary proceedings “must not be disrupted or trivialised in ways that undermine the functioning of this vital democratic institution”.
They demanded that Gandhi must apologise to the nation “for this behaviour and introspect on the attitude that produced it, so that the solemnity, authority and institutional sanctity of Parliament remain fully preserved”.
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