Lok Sabha leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, addressed the house on Wednesday regarding the anti-paper leak bill. However, the Congress MP’s speech sparked chaos after he mentioned “three categories of people – students, idiots and andhbhakts,” which the ruling NDA alliance has deemed as “unparliamentary language.”
Event Context
Addressing the Lok Sabha, Gandhi recalled his conversation with an 18-year-old student, who stated that there are three categories of people, in the context of the recent student protests.
“These categories are students, the idiots and then the andhbhakts,” said Gandhi, adding that “andhbhakt is a person who is absolutely convinced that another idiot is God.”
Truth is sweet. A student keeps running after the truth. For him or her, truth is sweet. Like Gandhiji said, the windows of his house are open to all winds. Then I asked her, ‘What about the idiot?’ And she said…The hallmark of a student is that the student wears the truth on his own chest, proudly. It’s written here. Then I said, ‘Okay, what about the other type of person who is not a student?’
She said, ‘The other type requires an image. It requires an image. And as that image is not true—because the idiot is trying to pretend that he is God—he has to create this massive image.’ Then I asked another question. I thought there is the student, and then there is the idiot, so I asked her, ‘Tell me one thing, where does the third category fit?’ She said, ‘Which third category?’I said, ‘Andhbhakt. Where should andhbhakt be placed?’
She said to me, ‘Andhbhakt is a person who is absolutely convinced that another idiot is God.’
So these are the three categories: the student, the idiot, and the andhbhakt who follows the idiot.
Hitting back, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju interrupted the speech and flagged issues with it.
“We don’t want to disrupt your speech, but you used unparliamentary language…you continue, but don’t use that language,” said Rijiju.
Amid the uproar in the house, Gandhi addressed Birla, calling on him to keep the house in order.
Match Outlook
“To keep the house in order is your responsibility; the moment I open my mouth, treasury benches shout,” said the Congress MP.
This is a developing story…
