New Delhi: As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament over his remarks at Cambridge University, the Congress on Tuesday made it clear that Gandhi will not apologize. "Shah (Amit Shah) and Shehenshah (Narendra Modi) both should understand that Rahul Gandhi will not apologize. Criticizing the government does not mean criticism of the country," said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Khera was referring to the BJP's demand for an apology from Gandhi scion. Rahul Gandhi while delivering a lecture at Cambridge University said that democracy and Parliament are presently under attack in India. Coming down heavily against the BJP, Khera said that the party leaders charge their WhatsApp throughout the day, and appeared in TV shows at night with "half-backed knowledge."
"If the government is clean, why it is afraid of a discussion in the House? We want a debate (on the Adani issue) because Parliamentary democracy runs through debate," said Khera.
Rahul Gandhi has been demanding an answer from the Prime Minister and that's why the ruling party is creating all the drama, he said. The Congress leader also criticized Trinamool Congress (TMC) for boycotting several meetings of the opposition parties. "They (TMC) are afraid of Shah and Shehenshah and that is why they are not coming with the opposition. We did not come under pressure, but they did," said Khera.
Asked about TMC's strategy to take on the BJP alone, Khera said, "We have seen how many seats TMC got in Goa, Northeast, and other States." Khera also slammed BJP leader Sambit Patra after the latter compared Rahul Gandhi with Mir Jafar and said that he would soon get a "strong answer".
Earlier today, Patra hit out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and said that he is the "present-day Mir Jafar" of Indian Polity and said that he has to apologize for his remarks in the UK. While talking to the media persons, Khera said, "Criticizing government is not criticizing the nation. Government should understand this. The debate does not make democracy weaken instead it strengthens it. The government is doing this drama because they are trying to escape the opposition's questions."
"They are worried that Rahul Gandhi might again ask the PM about his relations with Adani. There is no JPC probe yet, this is the reason they are creating so much drama," he added.
