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Parliament winter session 2025: Just a day after sparking controversy by bringing a stray dog into Parliament, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury made another statement, accusing the government of pressuring Army officers to back them. Chowdhury said, "The most frightening situation is that, for the first time, Army leaders are coming out and saying that they are being pressured to speak in support of the government…" This remark quickly triggered a political storm, with the BJP strongly denouncing her comments.

BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan condemned Chowdhury’s allegations, labelling them as an “assault” on the dignity of India’s armed forces. He described her remarks as “deeply divisive and malicious," further accusing the Congress of fostering a “Sena Virodhi mentality.” Kesavan cited several past instances where Congress leaders had insulted the military, including the derogatory term “Sadak Ka Goonda” used against the Chief of Armed Forces.

He also reminded the public of Congress’s repeated questioning of the credibility of military operations like the surgical strikes and Balakot air strikes, as well as Rahul Gandhi’s controversial reference to the Army as “pitaai,” a term the court had deemed unacceptable.

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Later, Chowdhury said, "I am an Armyman's daughter. Many people from my family have served in the Army... I never said that someone pressurised the Army Officers. I am saying that Army should never come before the media. They are our pride. They sacrifice themselves for the country. The army is the backbone of our country. Don't play with these sentiments. I dont want to give any such statements for the Army. This is not what we want for the Army. Please respect them, salute them, and make sure that we live straight. I am saying no one should, and no one can pressurise the Army. The statements going around in the media are not right.

A day before, Renuka Chowdhury had made headlines when she brought a stray dog into Parliament, claiming she had rescued it after witnessing a road accident. She faced criticism from fellow MPs but dismissed it with a sarcastic comment, saying, "The real ones who bite are sitting in Parliament. They run the government. We take care of a mute animal, and this has become a big issue and a topic of discussion. Does the government have nothing else to do? I sent the dog home and told them to keep it at home. We don't talk about those who sit in Parliament and bite us every day," She added that she had sent the dog home after the incident.

In response, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the ruling government, joking about the dog controversy. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, he said, "Dog is the main topic today, I believe. What did the poor dog do? Are dogs not allowed here? Pets are allowed inside. Maybe pets are not allowed here. I guess these are the things that India is discussing these days."

Meanwhile, the proceedings in the Lok Sabha were briefly suspended, with the House adjourned after just nine minutes, as Opposition MPs continued to raise slogans demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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