New Delhi: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to initiate Privilege Proceedings against Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi. The move comes in response to Gandhi’s speech in Parliament on Monday, where he alleged the presence of Chinese troops on Indian soil and criticised the government’s handling of the manufacturing sector under the ‘Make in India’ initiative among others.
The BJP MP, in his letter, wrote that the LoP in his speech “not only shamelessly distorted the historical and substantive facts but also made an attempt to ridicule our country and lowering the prestige of our Republic”. He also requested the Speaker to initiate a breach of privilege motion against Gandhi, citing his failure to authenticate his claims made during the speech.
Rahul accuses Modi government of failing to boost manufacturing
Gandhi’s remarks, made while replying to the President’s address during the Budget Session, sparked uproar in the Lok Sabha. He accused the Modi government of failing to boost manufacturing, which he linked to the alleged Chinese incursion. “The reason China is inside our territory is because ‘Make in India’ has failed,” Gandhi claimed.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju intervened during Gandhi’s speech, accusing him of “peddling fake narratives” and undermining parliamentary standards. “We would like to remind him that such kinds of frivolous acts and language should not be repeatedly used,” Rijiju stated.
‘Beijing sitting on 4,000 sq km of our land’
Gandhi also raised issues related to unemployment, claiming that India had outsourced production jobs to China. He also asserted that Beijing was “sitting on 4,000 sq km of our land”. Rijiju refuted these claims, calling them “unsubstantiated statements” about India-China relations.
In addition to his comments on China, Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the US multiple times to secure an invitation for Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony as 47th president of the US. Jaishankar countered LoP’s claim, labelling it a “deliberate falsehood”. In a post on social media platform X, he said that “at no stage was an invitation in respect of the PM discussed”, and emphasised that the Prime Minister does not attend such events, with India typically represented by Special Envoys.
Dubey urges Speaker to take urgent action
Dubey’s letter accuses Gandhi of misusing Article 105 of the Constitution to spread misinformation. The Article protects parliamentary privileges. The letter lists points Gandhi raised during his speech, including claims about mobile phone manufacturing in India, Chinese territorial incursions, US diplomatic relations, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, the appointment of Election Commissioners, and caste-based census data.
Dubey urged the Speaker to take urgent action, highlighting Gandhi’s “callous and irresponsible attitude” and suggesting that his remarks were part of a broader agenda to “destabilise the country and the economy by spreading hatred”.
The MP from Jharkhand’s Godda further requested that Gandhi be reprimanded during the current session and sought permission to raise the issue formally in the House.
A breach of privilege notice is a legislative tool that can be invoked against members found misusing their parliamentary rights or misleading the House. The Speaker’s decision on whether to proceed with the motion is awaited, as political tensions continue to rise over the controversial statements.
