- 12 hours ago
On this Special Report, the focus is on the intensifying political row after Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury brought a stray dog to Parliament. BJP National Spokesperson Tuhin Sinha dismisses the act as ‘drama’ and ‘canine antics’, stating, ‘When I first saw Renuka ji barking, I actually thought it was an AI video.’ Congress National Spokesperson Salman Soz defends Chowdhury’s action as a ‘gesture of humanity’ for a rescued animal, accusing the BJP of using the incident to divert attention from the Indian rupee touching 90 to the dollar and the ‘worst performing currency’ crisis. Senior Journalist Neerja Chowdhury laments the ‘lack of civility’ in public discourse, urging leaders to restore parliamentary decorum.
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00:00Joining me on the show tonight, Salman Sos, National Spokesperson of the Congress Party.
00:05We have Tuneen Sinar representing the BJP.
00:07Neerja Chaudhary, Senior Journalist, will be joining me shortly.
00:11Salman Sos, does the Congress view that Renuka Chaudhary's dog entry and the subsequent response
00:17and biting MP's comment as upholding or eroding the dignity of Parliament?
00:25Well, you know, before I get into what the Congress Party has to say,
00:29I thought your viewers might be interested to know that a BJP MP, Poonam Mahajan,
00:37in 2013, right here, right here, I hope your viewers can see,
00:45is very nicely, I might say, very nicely.
00:49I'm a dog lover myself. I'm a dog dad.
00:53She was taking care of a stray animal inside Parliament, a stray dog.
00:59And it was good to see, by the way, when I was doing some research for the show,
01:03it was good to see.
01:06Renuka Chaudhary witnessed an accident.
01:08And close to the accident site, she saw a stray dog walking.
01:17She was concerned for that dog and put him in his car.
01:21And that gesture of humanity has become a serious problem for the BJP.
01:26For the BJP, it is not a serious problem that the Indian rupee has touched 90 rupees to the dollar.
01:32For the BJP, it is not a serious problem that tens of billions of dollars have left the country
01:41because foreign investors are pulling their money.
01:44For the BJP, it is not a problem that because of the depreciation of the Indian rupee,
01:51fuel, fertilizer, electronics, these prices are going to be higher for the Indian consumer.
01:58Concerns, Salman, and the concerns with regards to rupee is also a valid one.
02:04Neerja Chaudhary, who has tracked India's parliamentary democracy for years,
02:09will be joining me as well any moment now.
02:12But Tuhin, coming to what is being said by the Congress Party,
02:18why does the BJP believe that Renuka Chaudhary's actions and remarks
02:23warrant a privileged motion to protect parliamentary protocol and respect?
02:28It could very well be seen as you are indulging in diversionary tactic,
02:32running away from important debates, as Salman is highlighting.
02:36Good evening, Mari.
02:38The willful, compulsive protests inside the parliament to this new canine obsession,
02:45the Congress Party, you know, seems to be having a field day.
02:48But point is, the BJP, the Congress Party is nowhere in any mood to discuss serious issues.
02:55There are 13 bills pending debate.
02:57All of these 13 bills are very crucial from the point of view of the economic agenda of the country.
03:04Does Salman Sos not realize the importance of the Atomic Energy Bill,
03:08you know, which would bring the private sector into a nuclear energy production?
03:13Does he not realize the importance of Janveshwar's bill?
03:17When I saw, when I first saw Renuka, Renuka Ji barking, I actually thought it was an AI video,
03:24you know, but it took, I watched it two or three times to convince myself that it was not an AI video.
03:29I think the Congress Party, you know, is so despondent today,
03:33after 95 defeats and with no sign of revival, that, you know,
03:37they must seriously take care of their mental health.
03:39Because if they don't, this is by no means, this is not the way to protest.
03:43If you have serious issues, bring it up.
03:45We are open to discussion.
03:46You know, next Monday for one whole day, there is a discussion on one day,
03:50one day matram and the following day, electoral reforms are being decided.
03:53We are open to discussing, you know, SIR, all the issues that they bring forth.
03:58But over the last three or four years,
04:00it actually started in 2019 after the second defeat of Congress Party,
04:03they realized that they would not be able to bounce back.
04:06And hence, you know, the sense of entitlement that they have,
04:09the perverse sense of entitlement has led them to disrupt parliament time and again.
04:13Between 2014 to 2019, the, you know,
04:16the productivity of Nooksawa stood at a good 83, 84%.
04:20It brought, came down to 50% between 2019 to 2024,
04:25after Congress realized it won't get down, get back to power.
04:28And now it's somewhere around 40%.
04:30I think the Congress Party has a lot to introspect over here.
04:33Talking about this action, you know, Salman,
04:39how does the Congress then justify Renuka Chaudhary's defiance?
04:44You know, because it is about security and decorum,
04:47and with these concerns seem to be valid.
04:49Look, when the parliament session was announced,
04:55Tuhin is right, 13 bills, 15 days, 13 bills,
05:0010 of the bills have not gone to the standing committee of parliament,
05:03the respective standing committees.
05:05That shows you the seriousness of the BJP
05:10when it comes to parliamentary procedures.
05:12As far as Renuka ji is concerned,
05:15she is purely defending the attacks from the BJP on her.
05:20If the BJP is really serious about parliamentary work,
05:23let's discuss things in parliament.
05:25Let's debate those things.
05:26Why are we discussing stray dogs?
05:29If you have such a problem with stray dogs inside parliament,
05:33you should think about people suffering
05:35because of stray dogs outside parliament.
05:37Why doesn't the BJP do more about serious stray dog issues
05:45outside parliament?
05:46They're very concerned when it comes to them.
05:49Nobody should come into parliament,
05:50even though I've just shown you a photograph
05:52of a BJP MP with a stray dog inside parliament.
05:58But BJP had no problem at that time.
06:01They have a problem at this time.
06:02Why?
06:03Because they want to make an issue out of a non-issue.
06:07Because there are serious issues
06:09that they would rather not talk about.
06:12They would rather not tell you, Maria,
06:14that because the Indian rupee has depreciated so much,
06:17despite RBI action,
06:19RBI has been spending billions of dollars
06:22to prop up the rupee.
06:25And despite that, the rupee has been falling.
06:27The Indian rupee has become the worst
06:29performing currency in Asia in 2025.
06:33But they don't want you to talk about that
06:36because they know that is going into the direction
06:39of inflation in those commodities
06:42that have a direct impact on your pockets.
06:45They don't want to talk about those things.
06:47Okay.
06:47They'll talk about...
06:48Okay.
06:48Will you respond to that?
06:49Will you respond to that, please, quickly?
06:53Tameen Sinha?
06:53An intelligent person like Salman
06:57would realize that we don't have a problem with the dog.
06:59The entire issue emanates
07:01when she dramatizes the whole situation.
07:03It's journalists asking her questions.
07:05Have we asked her questions?
07:06When journalists go to her to ask questions
07:09and she makes all kinds of funny, bizarre, canine sounds,
07:12obviously, you know, it's an insult to the parliament.
07:15And then look at the language.
07:16Look at the way she's saying
07:17that those sitting inside bite.
07:20Obviously, she's referring to even those Congress members
07:23who tend to not participate in disruptive activities.
07:26Rahul Gandhi repeated that.
07:27Those inside are more dangerous or whatever.
07:30So please have respect for your fellow,
07:32you know, parliamentarians.
07:33We have seen what Rahul Gandhi was doing
07:35during the Rafale debate.
07:37He was throwing paper planes.
07:38He was winking.
07:39This is the level of seriousness you bring under Rahul Gandhi.
07:42And then you complain that, you know,
07:44we don't involve you in discussions.
07:45We are...
07:46See, Maria, you would realize this is the first time
07:49parliament has operated till 1.00, 1.30 in the night
07:51discussing article 370.
07:54And then during the work discussion,
07:56the discussion went on till 2.00 a.m.
07:58And then the Manipur bill was discussed till 4.00 a.m.
08:00Rahul Gandhi was missing the entire idea.
08:02Nija Chowdhury, you have tracked parliament
08:04and parliamentary proceedings for decades now.
08:07How do you look at Renuka Chowdhury's comments?
08:11You know, how does it really impact public perception
08:14of parliamentary decorum, I would ask?
08:18Look, all the comments that have been made
08:21are avoidable completely.
08:23And I was thinking, Maria,
08:25what really ails up parliament today?
08:28And I would put the lack of civility
08:30in our public discourse and in parliament
08:32on top of the list.
08:34You know, one opened the newspaper this morning
08:36and read about both sides, opposition and the ruling side,
08:41having come to an understanding on discussing SIR
08:45and Vande Matram.
08:46Things had been worked out.
08:48Eighth and ninth, the discussion would be aired.
08:50And you felt, my goodness, at the end of the day,
08:53despite the differences, despite the viciousness,
08:56they do manage to make things work.
08:58And within hours, something else had happened.
09:00So I would say, you know, it's no point saying,
09:04okay, Renuka Chowdhury said this,
09:05Ragini Nair did that,
09:07completely, completely avoidable things.
09:09And others have retaliated this evening
09:12about Sonia Gandhi and so on.
09:15You know, this is not the way we would like
09:18our parliament to function
09:19in our parliamentary democracy,
09:20about which we are proud for all its fault lines.
09:24And I wish, you know, I don't know what the answer is.
09:27We keep lamenting, we keep bemoaning this
09:29in session after session.
09:31What is the answer, Maria?
09:33You know, we can, everybody can say,
09:35but this happened a year ago.
09:38How many years ago?
09:39You know, I am proud that the Chaiwala
09:41in our country makes it to the pinnacle of power.
09:44I am proud that Gwala's family, Lalu Yadav,
09:48ruled in Bihar for 15 years,
09:51that our democracy can throw people
09:53who rise from the ground.
09:54We are proud of it, but it is the manner
09:56in which it is being projected.
09:59And equally, you know, things now being said
10:01about Sonia Gandhi on national television,
10:04completely, as I said,
10:06I wish we go beyond it somehow.
10:09Can the prime minister,
10:11can the leader of the opposition,
10:12please sit down, you know, talk it out,
10:16do whatever has to be done.
10:18There is enormous bitterness
10:20between the two sides,
10:22which is not limited to opposing ideology
10:26or opposing points of view.
10:27But, Nija, you know, one may also say that,
10:29yes, there are disagreements,
10:31but the fact that today,
10:33both the sides, the Treasury benches
10:34and the opposition decided
10:36that there will be points of convergences,
10:38that there will be discussion
10:39on electoral reforms,
10:41that there will be discussion on issues
10:43that the opposition thinks
10:44must take center stage.
10:46Would you then say that, you know,
10:48points of confrontation
10:49are perhaps getting lesser by the day?
10:52At one level, yes, as I said, Maria,
10:55when we started the day today,
10:57for instance, yes,
10:59that they had found a way
11:00if it was not to be specifically SIR,
11:03it would come under the theme
11:04of electoral reform.
11:05But the issue that's agitating
11:07the opposition would be discussed
11:09and it must be discussed in parliament.
11:11Yes, you thought there was
11:13greater maturity, you know,
11:16manifesting itself.
11:18But, you know, I wonder,
11:20is it because both sides
11:21at the end of the day
11:22do not want a discussion
11:23in parliament on certain issues?
11:25Do they resort to this kind of
11:27stalling deliberately?
11:29You just wonder.
11:30But certainly we deserve,
11:32we, the people of India,
11:33you and I and all those sitting out there,
11:36we deserve better from our government
11:38and our opposition.
11:39And we want our parliament
11:41to function effectively.
11:43How you make it work,
11:44please work out.
11:46Okay.
11:46How will you make it work?
11:48The question is that now,
11:49Tuhin Sina.
11:50This controversy may well be
11:53a distraction from issues
11:54like pollution,
11:55but at the same time,
11:57it is also showcasing
11:59Salman saw's declining decorum
12:02in what is visibly
12:03a very, very polarized politics.
12:06Tuhin Sina.
12:06Our stand has been very clear.
12:09We are open
12:09and we will discuss
12:11each and everything.
12:12But, you know,
12:12it is the prerogative
12:13of the government
12:14to set the agenda.
12:15When they wanted
12:16to discuss Manipur,
12:17we were open to it.
12:18They wanted to discuss it
12:19under a specific rule
12:21whereby all other business
12:22of the house
12:23would have come
12:24to a standstill.
12:25Now, when we discussed it
12:26for two full days,
12:28Home Minister spoke
12:29for a good two and a half hours.
12:30They obviously,
12:31at the end of the day,
12:32at the end of it,
12:33they don't have anything to say.
12:34The same happened
12:35during Operation Sindhurt.
12:36They insisted on a particular day.
12:38When we had the discussion,
12:39by the end of it,
12:40Rahul Gandhi's anti-India,
12:41you know,
12:42propaganda got exposed.
12:43My point is,
12:44we are ready
12:45for discussion on everything.
12:46There is a day
12:47for electoral reforms,
12:48which is next Tuesday.
12:50One day, you know,
12:51obviously,
12:51if we are discussing
12:52our cultural legacy,
12:53wherein Vande Matram
12:55would be debated,
12:56which I'm sure
12:57the Congress Party
12:58would not be happy with.
13:00I'm assuring you,
13:01we are ready
13:01to discuss each and everything.
13:03But these bills,
13:04these 13 bills
13:05are equally important.
13:06The repeated disruptive attitude
13:09of the Congress Party,
13:11coupled with its all kind of
13:12canine antics
13:14or whatever they are now
13:15indulging it,
13:15is not healthy
13:16for the democracy.
13:18Okay.
13:19Respond to that,
13:20Salman Sos.
13:21You know,
13:22that was completely avoidable.
13:25Perhaps it could have been
13:25handled differently.
13:28Well, first of all,
13:29when a BJP spokesperson
13:30says that the leader
13:32of the Indian opposition
13:33is anti-national
13:34on national television,
13:36it just tells you
13:37what kind of...
13:37Propaganda.
13:38It just tells you
13:39what kind of mentality
13:40the BJP...
13:41I said your propaganda
13:41was anti-Indian.
13:43Well,
13:44it just tells you
13:45what kind of mentality
13:46the BJP and the RSS
13:48have inculcated
13:48in their members.
13:50I think that just shows you.
13:52The other thing is that,
13:53you know,
13:53I think Thurin Sina
13:55talked about,
13:56you know,
13:57a lot of different things,
14:00basically,
14:01insulting parliamentarians,
14:03et cetera, et cetera.
14:05I think the BJP
14:05should not insult
14:06the intelligence
14:07of the Indian people.
14:09If the BJP
14:11was serious
14:12about discussing
14:13those issues,
14:14including, by the way,
14:16the poor quality air
14:19that is choking
14:19the lungs
14:20of our children
14:21in the city
14:23where the prime minister lives,
14:25they would kind of say,
14:27if Mrs. Renuka Chaudhary
14:30brought in a stray dog
14:31because of the goodness
14:32of her heart,
14:34maybe we should not make
14:35such a big deal about it
14:36because there are so many
14:37vital issues
14:38in front of the country.
14:40But that is not the BJP.
14:41That is not their interest.
14:43Their interest is not
14:44in doing that.
14:45Their interest is
14:46in figuring out
14:47how to keep
14:47the people of India
14:48distracted,
14:49so that they can
14:50help their crony
14:51capitalist friends
14:52make as much money
14:53as possible,
14:54which they can get
14:55back from them
14:56through kickbacks.
14:58That's the story.
14:59This is as simple
15:00as it gets.
15:01I don't understand
15:02what is so complicated
15:02about this.
15:04So, I'm sorry.
15:05You know, Maria,
15:06I don't understand.
15:07No, no, I don't think
15:09you should interrupt
15:09because I did not interrupt.
15:11You asked me a question.
15:12If it helps the people
15:16in parliament
15:17who somehow
15:19don't want
15:19any stray dogs
15:20near them,
15:21even though
15:22they don't care
15:22about stray dogs
15:23who actually
15:24may end up
15:25hurting the common
15:26citizens,
15:27I apologize to you.
15:29I apologize to you
15:31for the goodness
15:32of Renika Chowdhury's
15:33heart.
15:34I apologize to you.
15:35If that satiation
15:38makes you happy
15:39because the people
15:41of this country
15:42want the PJP
15:44to focus on the things
15:46that are important.
15:47Okay, Tureen,
15:48quickly, 30 seconds.
15:49Why is the 90 rupee
15:50barrier against the dollar?
15:52I don't understand.
15:54Maria, I really
15:55don't understand.
15:56I don't understand
15:57why an intelligent man
15:58like Salman Sos
16:00is really trivializing
16:01this debate.
16:02We have no objections
16:03to the dog being brought.
16:04It is she who's
16:05dramatizing situations
16:07with her, you know,
16:08all kinds of weird sounds.
16:10You know, she's insulting
16:11her own party members
16:13who want to attend
16:14parliament by saying
16:15that those who are
16:16inside are the ones
16:17who bite.
16:18You know, if you don't
16:19have self-dignity,
16:20at least your Congress
16:21party MPs who have
16:23self-dignity will not,
16:24even they will not
16:25tolerate this language.
16:26And yes, we want
16:27to proceed ahead.
16:28So please stop
16:29defending her.
16:31Call her out.
16:32Tell her that this is
16:33not the way to behave
16:33in parliament.
16:34And let's get down
16:35to business.
16:36I don't understand
16:37the need for you
16:37to defend all of
16:38these things
16:39and to trivialize
16:40the whole thing
16:40by saying, you know,
16:41that we are
16:42disrupting parliament
16:42because of it.
16:43Of course, you,
16:44and today the AI video
16:45that your Ragini Nayak,
16:46your spokesperson,
16:47Ragini Nayak brings out.
16:49You know,
16:49what kind of mentality
16:50are you trying to project?
16:51Do you have a problem
16:52with self-made individuals
16:53who don't come from
16:54a political dynasty
16:55who grow up,
16:56who come up the hard way
16:57to become prime minister?
16:58And Ragini Nayak,
16:59every time she posts
17:00such crap,
17:01she gets promoted
17:02with some responsibility
17:03or the other.
17:04She had a good responsibility
17:05in Bihar elections
17:06after posting all of these
17:07for the last one month.
17:08What culture are you promoting
17:09in this country?
17:10I think the Congress
17:11needs to respect
17:11unless you are happy.
17:12We have seen how
17:15the entire opposition
17:17was decimated
17:18in Bihar elections.
17:20And the fact is
17:20that they did not
17:21put up a good fight.
17:22That's also a truth.
17:24As someone who was
17:24covering the elections,
17:25we saw how it was playing out
17:27between the Congress
17:28and the RJD.
17:29Go ahead, Salman,
17:29quickly, 30 seconds.
17:31And then the last word
17:32to Neerja Chaudhary.
17:33I think this
17:35kind of outrage
17:38that the BGP expresses,
17:39it's basically
17:40nothing but drama.
17:43This is nothing but drama.
17:45I again ask you,
17:48have you had
17:49a very serious discussion
17:51about air pollution?
17:53Or did you,
17:54your party,
17:56your four-engine
17:57set car in Delhi,
17:58from prime minister
17:59to chief minister
18:00to lieutenant governor
18:01to the MCD,
18:02did you manipulate data
18:03on air quality
18:04in Delhi?
18:06Would you have
18:06a discussion
18:07in Parliament
18:08about how your government
18:09manipulated
18:10air quality monitors
18:13in Delhi?
18:13Will you have
18:14a discussion about that?
18:15Why won't you
18:16have a discussion
18:16about that?
18:17Why are you not outraged?
18:18Why are you not outraged
18:20about that?
18:21Why are you not outraged
18:23about the air
18:25that is killing
18:26our children?
18:27Absolutely.
18:28The concern
18:29about the air pollution
18:31is something
18:32that should concern
18:33all politicians
18:34across party lines
18:36because Delhi
18:37right now
18:37is a gas chamber.
18:39It's unbreathable
18:40how sickening it is.
18:42Go ahead,
18:42Neerjashwadri,
18:43you get the last word
18:44on the show tonight.
18:44Please go ahead.
18:45Absolutely,
18:45I agree with you.
18:46I would put
18:47Delhi air
18:48on top of the list
18:49of what Parliament
18:50should discuss.
18:51You are cutting short
18:52the lives of our children
18:53and nothing
18:54has been done
18:55year after year.
18:56So this,
18:56I would say,
18:57certainly is priority.
18:59I would just sum up
19:00Maria in one line.
19:01Please,
19:02you know,
19:02we address each other
19:04as GG
19:04even where people
19:05are younger.
19:07But let us
19:08restore courtesy
19:10in our public discourse.
19:14Okay.
19:15I think that's
19:16the right way
19:17to end
19:17this discussion
19:19because there has
19:19to be courtesy,
19:20there has to be decorum
19:21in parliamentary proceedings
19:23and parliamentary practices
19:24as well.
19:25That's all from me
19:26on this edition.
19:27Neerjashwadri,
19:28Thuin Sina Salman,
19:29so I really appreciate
19:30your time.
19:30Thank you so much
19:31for watching NewsTrack.
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