Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 27: Robert Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi, spoke out on Thursday in defense of Rahul Gandhi after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla raised concerns over parliamentary decorum. Vadra dismissed the controversy, stating that there was nothing inappropriate about Rahul Gandhi warmly greeting his sister in Parliament.
“Rahul Gandhi met his sister in Parliament and greeted her with affection. There is nothing wrong with that. Both brother and sister share a close bond and have been raised to treat people with love, respect, and happiness,” Vadra told mediapersons. He criticized the Speaker’s decision to adjourn the House following the incident, calling it an unfair move aimed at preventing the Leader of the Opposition from speaking.
Rahul Gandhi’s public show of affection toward Priyanka Gandhi reportedly made some members uncomfortable, prompting Speaker Birla to remind lawmakers of parliamentary decorum under Rule 349. The Speaker pointed out that the House had seen father-daughter, mother-daughter, and husband-wife duos as members before, and that the Leader of the Opposition should uphold the expected standards of behavior in the chamber.
Vadra, however, accused the Speaker of stifling Rahul Gandhi’s voice and echoed the Congress leader’s claims that the House was being run in an undemocratic manner. He argued that Rahul Gandhi consistently raises issues that resonate with the public and should not be silenced in Parliament.
He also defended the bond between Rahul and Priyanka as a reflection of Congress’s culture of valuing relationships, in contrast to what he described as the BJP’s approach of disregarding such connections.
Addressing speculation about his potential entry into active politics, Vadra said he would do so at the right time with his family’s blessings. While not holding any formal political position, he emphasized that he remains committed to public service and conducts himself responsibly due to his association with the Gandhi family.
On being targeted politically, Vadra remarked that he often felt he could respond more effectively to his critics if he were a Member of Parliament himself.