'Unfortunately, I'm an MP ...': BJP mocks Rahul Gandhi as Jairam Ramesh prompts Congress leader during media briefing

NEW DELHI: In an inadvertent hot-mic moment for the Congress, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh was on Thursday overheard prompting Rahul Gandhi during a media interaction following the adjournment of Parliament.

In a clip being shared online, Rahul tells reporters: "Unfortunately I am a member of Parliament and I am hopeful that I will be allowed to speak in Parliament, so I would like to first place my statement on the floor of the house."


He was accusing the government of not letting him speak in Parliament.

However, immediately after the remark, Ramesh can be heard asking Rahul to tweak his original statement to "Unfortunately 'for you', I am a member of Parliament...", adding that otherwise they [BJP leaders] can "make a joke out of it".

After Ramesh's intervention, Rahul can be heard correcting his statement to: "Unfortunately for you, I am a Member of Parliament and as the allegation has been made in Parliament by four ministers, it is my right to have the opportunity to have my say on the floor of Parliament. It is my democratic right."

Several BJP leaders, including Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Piyush Goyal, shared a short version of the clip on Twitter to mock Rahul Gandhi.

"Don't blame Shri Rahul Gandhi. The fault lies with Jairam Ramesh. Why should Jairam treat Rahul Gandhi like a class 2 student?" Rijiju said on Twitter.

Sharing the 25-second version of the clip on his Twitter handle, Union minister Piyush Goyal said "Unfortunately, we are at a loss for words...."

Union education and skill development and entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan in a sarcastic reply said, "Truly unfortunate."



BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra tweeted in Hindi, "How much and for how long will one teach (Rahul)?"

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala tweeted, "Well Jairam it is unfortunate for us that he is an MP in the August Parliament he so badly undermines & betrays..Sad that he can't even make a statement without being coached! Wonder who coached him for his foreign intervention statement?"

Union minister Anurag Thakur said that sometimes truth comes out and it really is "unfortunate" that he [Rahul] is an MP.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a swipe at Congress and termed Ramesh Congress's "Chief Saboteur".

Countering the criticism from BJP leaders, Ramesh called it "another attempt" by the ruling party to divert attention from the Adani row.



"The RW [right wing] system is having a field day with my pointing out to @RahulGandhi that his statement's construct would be distorted by BJP's fake news machine. He clarified instantly. We speak freely to the media without teleprompters. This is another attempt to distract from Modani scam," he said.

Meanwhile, the logjam in Parliament continued for the fourth successive day on Thursday with the ruling BJP and opposition parties sticking to their stands.

The BJP has demancded an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the UK while the opposition members pressed for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group.

(With inputs from agencies)