New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI): Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha on Saturday accused the BJP of dragging the office of the President into the controversy surrounding the INDIA bloc delegation's meeting with President Droupadi Murmu, asserting that the opposition leaders had appreciated her empathy and concern during the interaction.
Talking to ANI, responding to BJP leaders' statements on the meeting, Jha said the President had listened to the delegation with concern and had asked them to provide evidence and proof to support their claims.
"It is the BJP that is dragging the office of the President into this, not us. He said the President had emphasised the dignity of the office she holds and that the entire delegation had assured her that it would provide the evidence sought. Jha said opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge had also commended the President for her empathy and concern during the meeting. Questioning the BJP's response, the RJD MP asked whether the President was aware of the situation in Delhi and the expectations of citizens. "It would be better not to rely on communications attributed to 'sources,' the BJP, or Rashtrapati Bhavan," he said.
Jha further accused the BJP of refusing to acknowledge the concerns raised by the opposition and attempting to shift the focus instead.
"You should accept that you have wronged your own people. Nothing will be achieved by shifting the goalposts and refusing to acknowledge this reality," he said.
Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad targeted the Opposition over its protests in Delhi, saying "Indian democracy had thwarted attempts to incite anarchy" and asserting that the country would be governed by Parliament and not the streets.
Referring to the BJP's electoral victories in Assam, Nandigram and Puducherry, Prasad said the party's performance came amid protests in Delhi and other parts of the country.
"Based on the events of today and the preceding three days, two things have become clear. One, Indian democracy has thwarted attempts to incite anarchy. Two, the country will be governed by Parliament, not by the streets," he said.
"The results came in yesterday: the BJP won in Assam and Nandigram. The BJP also won in Puducherry. All these elections took place while this entire mischief was unfolding in Delhi over the past several days," the BJP MP added.
"We are not opposed to protests, but you have weaponised street protests because of your electoral defeats," he said, targeting the Opposition.
Meanwhile, around 1,000 protesters have been detained across the national capital so far on Saturday while attempting to march towards Jantar Mantar for a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Delhi Police sources said. (ANI)
"She asked for evidence and proof, we assured her we would provide it": RJD's Manoj Jha on INDIA bloc MPs meeting with President Murmu
