NEW DELHI: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday criticised LoP Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his alleged behaviour towards fellow parliamentarians, accusing the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha of “heckling” those giving interviews.Speaking to media, Kangana said, “We, the women, get very uncomfortable seeing the way he (Rahul Gandhi) conducts himself. He walks in like a ‘tapori’ and heckles those giving interviews. He should see the conduct and behaviour of his sister, which is very good. Rahul Gandhi himself is a shame.” Her remarks follow an open letter signed by 84 former bureaucrats, 116 veterans and four lawyers, calling on Gandhi to apologise for an incident on March 12, when he was seen having tea and biscuits at the Makar Dwar entrance of Parliament.The letter, led by former Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid, described the episode as “deeply concerning” and said it reflected a “conscious disregard for parliamentary authority”.Speaking to media, Vaid said, “84 former bureaucrats, 116 veterans and former lawyers have addressed this letter to the public stating that Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour in Parliament is not becoming of a Leader of the Opposition, which is a very responsible post. His behaviour shows a sense of entitlement and arrogance. He indulges in theatrics; he sits on the steps of the Parliament and sips tea amid slogannering. I think Rahul Gandhi does not understand the importance of the post of LoP,” he said.He further called on Gandhi to apologise and act responsibly in his role.“We want him to understand this and apologise to the nation for all that has happened until now. Despite Speaker Om Birla appealing to him to maintain the dignity of the house, Rahul Gandhi doesn’t understand. He has made a laughingstock of himself. We want him to fulfil the role of a responsible LoP. There should be humbleness, not arrogance & sense of entitlement. What happened on 12th March was deplorable. Rahul Gandhi must understand his responsibility, because people listen when he speaks. The aspirations of the nation rest on the discussion that takes place in the Parliament and the laws emerging from it,” he said.The signatories also stressed in their letter that Parliament is not a place for spectacle or political theatre, and said Gandhi’s conduct showed disregard for established norms and decorum.
