Gandhi, who made his first appearance in the Lok Sabha briefly, a day after his return from Britain, said at an AICC press conference that the government was making a controversy of his London comments only because he had asked the PM to explain his ties with industrialist Gautam Adani and that he was ready to respond in Parliament, making it a “test for the state of India democracy”.

The Congress MP said: “Allegations are levelled against me in Parliament. If Indian democracy is functioning, then I would be able to respond in Parliament. So, actually, what you are seeing is a test of Indian democracy. After four ministers made allegations against an MP, is that MP going to get a chance to respond or is he going to be asked to shut up?”

He was, however, once again caught in a situation that led his advisors to correct him. At the press meet, he said four ministers had levelled false allegations against him in Parliament, and therefore, he met Speaker Om Birla and requested an opportunity to respond. As he didn’t want to take media queries on the current row, he said: “I would like to go into the details with you. Unfortunately, I am a member of Parliament. I am hopeful I will be allowed to speak in Parliament. So, I would like first to place my statement on the floor of the House and then would be happy to have it discussed with you.”

AICC communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh, sitting next to him, whispered to Gandhi (picked up by the mikes): “You said ‘unfortunately I am a member of Parliament’. Now you try to make it a joke by saying ‘unfortunately for you (media), I am a member of Parliament.” Gandhi complied: “I want to make it clear, unfortunately for you, I am a Member of Parliament. As allegations have been levelled against me by four ministers, it is my democratic right to respond on the floor of Parliament.”

Reacting to Gandhi’s statement, Union minister Piyush Goyal tweeted: “Unfortunately, we are at a loss for words…”

Gandhi said: “The government and PM are scared of the Adani issue after I asked what the PM’s relationship with Adani was. That is why they (government side) prepared this ‘tamasha’. I feel I won’t be allowed to speak in Parliament. The main question is what’s the relation between Modiji and Adaniji?” He recollected how he had asked about the Adani Group getting major contracts in many foreign countries and whether the PM had a role in it even as he defended his LS speech. “A few days ago, I gave a speech in the House raising questions on Modiji and Adaniji, that speech was expunged. There wasn’t anything in the speech that I didn’t take out from the public records.”