New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) With the Lok Sabha proceedings getting stalled over fierce exchanges between the government and Opposition, the bitterness and bad blood only seem to be intensifying, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey making it a battle of books — between unpublished and published ones.

During his speech in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the BJP MP referenced a couple of published books on former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten and made damaging accusations.

While the Congress MPs strongly protested his citation from published books, linked to Jawaharlal Nehru, the BJP lawmaker shared a letter purportedly penned by the first Prime Minister, setting the stage for fresh BJP-Congress confrontation.

Nishikant Dubey, while taking to his official X account, shared the letter and wrote, “If I say something, there’ll be an uproar — will it set the Congress’s Lanka ablaze? Will the Nehru-Gandhi family become a sworn enemy?”

Earlier on Wednesday, the BJP MP, speaking in the House, launched a scathing attack at the Gandhi family while referring to damning details about them, from the published books.

He accused the Gandhi family of engaging in “lies and deceit” to divide the nation and criticised he Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for “keeping the House hostage” for three days.

“Rahul Gandhi ji, for the past 3 days you have held Parliament hostage over an unprinted book. Let there be a debate in the House on some printed book as well. The history of the Gandhi/Nehru family is one of lies, deceit, debauchery, corruption, and those who sought to divide the country,” Nishikant Dubey said.

While Nishikant Dubey made damaging claims about the Gandhi family, this drew interventions from the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who cited Rule 349, which bars members from reading out from any book, newspaper, or letter except in connection with the business of the House.

Speaker Birla said that he couldn’t allow him to proceed, the BJP MP Dubey sought to justify his charge claiming that this was citation from a published book.

When the Opposition erupted in loud protest, the House was adjourned till 5 p.m.

Later, speaking to the press, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, furious over the Gandhi family’s name and legacy being dragged into the row, accused the Chair of partisan approach and said that this was a ploy by the Central government not just to divert nation’s attention but also silence the Opposition.

–IANS

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