MP Nishikant Dubey from Bharatiya Janata Party has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging the initiation of privilege proceedings against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi from the Congress Party. In his letter, Dubey mentioned that Rahul Gandhi’s speech during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address to Parliament on the 6th of February was filled with “shamelessly distorted” historical facts and aimed to ridicule India, lowering the prestige of the nation.
Nishikant Dubey’s complaint is based on several inaccuracies and lies peddled by Rahul Gandhi in his speech. Rahul Gandhi, in his address, alleged that China had forcibly captured Indian land in the Eastern regions, a statement that he said was backed by the Indian Army chief. He also criticized the “Make in India” initiative, asserting that it had failed to boost India’s manufacturing sector, which he claimed had declined from 15.3% of the GDP in 2014 to just 12.6% today, the lowest in 60 years. Furthermore, he remarked on India’s exclusion from the United States’ inauguration of President Donald Trump, the appointment of the Election Commissioners in India, and other contentious issues.
In his letter, Nishikant Dubey referred to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks as an attempt to “mislead” the nation and distort historical facts. He criticized the leader of Opposition for using Parliament as a platform to propagate what he described as “lies” and “mischievous” claims that damaged India’s reputation on the international stage. He also referred to Rahul Gandhi’s speech as an “irresponsible” attack on the government and the country, stating that such behavior is in violation of parliamentary decorum and rules.
Nishikant Dubey reminded the Speaker that Rahul Gandhi had not authenticated the statements he made, despite being reminded by the Speaker during the session that everything spoken on the floor of the House must be verified. He also highlighted that, during his own speech, he had clarified the factual inaccuracies in Rahul Gandhi’s statements, calling the claims “blatant lies.”
The BJP MP emphasized that while Article 105 of the Indian Constitution provides Members of Parliament with the privilege of freedom of speech, this privilege is not absolute. He stated that Rahul Gandhi’s behavior indicated a belief in “unbridled freedom” and argued that his remarks undermined the authority of Parliament. He called for a formal investigation into latter’s speech, noting that the privilege of speech in Parliament is subject to rules, conduct, and procedure.
BJP MP has requested Speaker Om Birla to initiate privilege proceedings against Rahul Gandhi urgently, based on the claims made in his speech. He also suggested that Rahul Gandhi’s actions be reprimanded in the current session of Parliament through a motion under the relevant provisions of parliamentary rules.
