The government on Thursday fielded a team of  Union ministers to takedown the Opposition allegation that it was stifling democracy and not letting debates happen in Parliament. The ministers said that the Opposition instead shedding crocodile tears must apologise to the nation for ‘disrupting Parliament’

“People wait for their issues to be raised in Parliament. Whereas anarchy remained the Opposition’s agenda. They didn’t care about people, taxpayers’ money. What happened was condemnable. Instead of shedding crocodile tears, they must apologise to nation,” said Union Minister Anurag Thakur, one of the ministers who addressed the media

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Apart from Thakur, those who addressed the press meet included Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Textiles minister Piyush Goyal. “Rahul Gandhi said that it was “murder of democracy”. Nation can see what they did in Parliament. If they have a sense of responsibility, they should apologise to the country. We also demand from Chairman that there should be strict action and this shouldn’t be repeated,” Joshi said.

Countering Opposition charge that Rajya Sabha marshals manhandled lawmakers on Wednesday, Piyush Goyal said, “A lady marshal was manhandled… Opposition’s behaviour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was a new low for parliamentary democracy.”

The government response was preceded by a protest march by the Opposition, led by Congress’s Rahul Gandhi. The march, held a day after Parliament was adjourned sine die, saw Opposition leaders marching to the adjacent Vijay Chowk alleging ‘murder of democracy’ and manhandling of lawmakers in Rajya Sabha.

“The Parliament session is over. As far as 60% of the country is concerned there has been no Parliament session. The voice of 60% of the country has been crushed, humiliated and yesterday in the Rajya Sabha physically beaten,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, reports ANI.

Gandhi saidthat the opposition had taken to streets as they were not allowed to speak in the Parliament. “This is murder of democracy,” he said standing at at Vijay Chowk, a stone’s throw from Parliament.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut added that the opposition did not get a chance to present their views in Parliament. “Yesterday’s incident against women MPs was against democracy. It felt like we were standing at the Pakistan border,” Raut said.