Ex-PM Manmohan Singh's wheelchair entry sparks political debate; triggers comparison with Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Chandigarh, August 8: In a significant Rajya Sabha session discussing the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a notable entrance to Parliament in a wheelchair.

Criticism ensued as the Congress was targeted for Singh's wheelchair attendance. Responding to this, Congress leader Pawan Khera shared a picture from 2007, portraying ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also in a wheelchair during the Presidential elections.

Khera highlighted that, in 2007, the BJP understood the impending defeat of ex-Vice President BS Shekhawat against ex-President Pratibha Patil, yet Vajpayee "endured" to cast his vote.

The bill in question confers the Central government with the authority to establish regulations concerning the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, encompassing the functions, terms, and conditions of service for officers and employees.

The Congress party issued a three-line whip to its MPs, urging their presence in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, for consideration, following the opposition's resolution opposing the ordinance issued by the government in May of the same year. The bill had previously been passed by the Lok Sabha in the preceding week.

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