Jaipur: Rajasthan BJP MLAs on Thursday walked out of a valedictory session in the midst of a speech by political scientist Zoya Hasan in which she said this Lok Sabha poll saw the construction of the "most extraordinary personality cult" in modern Indian history.
The session of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) was being held at the state assembly.
Speaker and Rajasthan CPA president CP Joshi said Hasan has her own analysis and perception, and there may be differences, but members of the House should listen to those speaking in the session. He also said anyone who was not willing to listen may go.
When Hasan was expressing her views on the political campaign by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the elections, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Rajendra Rathore objected to it and asked her not to deliver such a speech.
The BJP leader also asked the political scientist "not to talk about her own ideology in the seminar". Other members from the saffron party also objected along with Rathore.
CPA vice president and Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria, who was on the panel with Hasan, Joshi and Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, left his chair and all BJP members walked out of the hall.
In her speech, Hasan said, This election has seen the construction of the most extraordinary personality cult in modern Indian history. It turned this election into a presidential election for all practical purposes."
"This presidential style of the election really suited the present dispensation because a personality cult has been built up over the five years by this government, she said.
Hasan alleged that advertisements of government schemes with the PM's photo gave the impression that they were a kind of gift of the prime minister to the people of India.
This is when the BJP members objected and left the seminar. Hasan, however, continued her speech and targeted the BJP and its government.
Joshi apologised to the political scientist, saying he was hurt by the behaviour of the BJP MLAs.
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