Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, speaking in the Lok Sabha on Monday, bit into a raw brinjal to highlight high gas prices. She claimed that cooking gas is so expensive that one might be forced to consume raw vegetables
Trinamool Congress MP, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, took a bite out of a raw brinjal to highlight the issue of high gas prices. PTI
While holding placards, shouting slogans and staging sit-in demonstrations are the most common ways of protesting, Opposition parties on occasion adopt more unique methods of getting their message across.
Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, speaking in the Lok Sabha on Monday, bit into a raw brinjal to highlight high gas prices. She claimed that cooking gas is so expensive that one might be forced to consume raw vegetables.
“The prices of LPG cylinder have been raised four times in the last few months. Does the government want us to eat raw vegetables?” she asked.
From holding mock parliaments to distributing wheat stalks here are some of the unique protests that have turned heads and hit the headlines:
Tractor ride to Parliament
Last year in July, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi drove a tractor to the Parliament as a protest against the three farm laws.
The vehicle was stopped at the entry gate of the Parliament as it did not have a valid pass to enter the compound. Delhi police detained some Congress workers including Randeep Singh Surjewala during the protest, according to an India Today report.
Rahul Gandhi, in support of the protesting farmers, said, “I’ve brought the farmers’ message to Parliament. The government is suppressing the voices of farmers and not letting a discussion take place in Parliament. They’ll have to repeal these black laws. The entire country knows these laws only favour 2-3 big businessmen.”
Ditching placards for dairy products
Three Congress members from Kerala – Benny Behanan, TN Prathapan and Hibi Eden – ditched placards in favour of packets of milk, curd and buttermilk in the Lok Sabha to protest the Centre’s move to levy five per cent GST on these items.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi member Venkatesh Netha Borlakunta joined the Congress leaders and held a packet of buttermilk.
A wheat stalk for you
Last year during the farmer’s agitation, former UnionmMinister Harsimrat Kaur Badal distributed wheat stalks to lawmakers to invoke empathy for the farmers protesting along Delhi’s borders.
The former Minister of Food Processing Industries of India, Harsimrat Kaur Badal stepped down from her post after the central government passed the three controversial farm laws.
“It is shocking that a community to which everyone is beholden is being persecuted by GOI (Government of India) which refuses to repeal 3 black #FarmLaws. Today we distributed wheat stalks to MPs to appeal to the conscience of our policy makers to be just to the hands that feed them,” she tweeted. Hitler, Krishna, Ambedkar Telegu Desam Party’s former MP the late Naramalli Sivaprasad was known for his unique way of protesting. In 2018, Sivaprasad dressed up as Adolf Hitler to send prime minister Narendra Modi the message that he should not “follow” Hitler’s footsteps.
According to a Financial Express report, Narmalli Sivaprasad decided to dress up as the Nazi dictator to remind prime minister Modi of his promise to give Special Status Category (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.
He said, “I wanted to send a message to prime minister Narendra Modi not to follow Adolf Hitler. During elections, he promised SCS to the people of the state but has then backtracked.”
Before this, he dressed up as Lord Krishna, BR Ambedkar and a schoolboy.
Mock parliament
During the farm protests last year, agitating farmers held a mock parliament at Jantar Mantar.
Farmers posed as lawmakers who signed a legislation that repealed the “anti-farm laws” and imposed “legal guarantees” assuring minimum support price for crops, according to a Hindustan Times report.
With inputs from agencies
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