The Rajasthan State Assembly descended into chaos today after a minister’s offhand remark about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ignited a firestorm of protests, leading to multiple adjournments and the suspension of six opposition lawmakers. The uproar, centered on a reference to Gandhi as “dadi” (Hindi for grandmother), exposed deep political fault lines and disrupted proceedings during the budget session.

The fracas began during Question Hour when Avinash Gehlot, the state’s Social Justice and Empowerment minister, responded to a query about hostels for working women. Pointing to the opposition Congress party, he noted that in the 2023-24 budget, “like always, you named the scheme after your ‘dadi’ Indira Gandhi.” Congress members, incensed by what they deemed a disrespectful jibe, stormed the well of the House, raising slogans and demanding an apology. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully and Govind Singh Dotasara, the state Congress chief, insisted the remark be struck from the record, accusing Gehlot of indecency.

The escalating protests forced Speaker Vasudev Devnani to adjourn the session three times—first for 30 minutes, then until 2 p.m., and later until 4 p.m.—as Congress lawmakers continued their sloganeering. Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members countered loudly, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel defending “dadi” as a respectful term, akin to calling Mahatma Gandhi “dada” (grandfather).

Tensions peaked when Congress lawmakers approached the Speaker’s chair, prompting marshals to intervene. At 4 p.m., the government’s chief whip, Jogeshwar Garg, condemned the opposition’s actions as “indecent” and moved to suspend six Congress MLAs—including Dotasara—for the remainder of the session. The proposal passed by voice vote, and the House adjourned until Monday. Undeterred, the suspended lawmakers staged a sit-in protest in the well.

Outside, the controversy reverberated on social media and in statements. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of sabotaging the assembly with provocative remarks, calling the comment an insult to a national martyr. The episode underscored the fraught political climate in Rajasthan, where words—and their echoes—carry the weight of history.