Anurag Thakur Moves Privilege Notice Against Rahul Gandhi Over Alleged Derogatory Remarks

NEW DELHI, Jul 30: BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with a breach of privilege and contempt notice against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging that his remarks during a parliamentary debate violated House rules and parliamentary decorum.

The notice stems from Gandhi’s speech during the discussion on the anti-paper leak legislation in the Lok Sabha on July 29. Thakur alleged that the Congress leader used objectionable language while referring to a conversation with protesting students and made serious allegations against Union Home Minister Amit Shah without following the prescribed parliamentary procedure.

In his three page submission, Thakur requested the Speaker to refer the matter to the Committee of Privileges for a detailed examination. He also sought directions for Gandhi to issue an unconditional apology to both the House and Amit Shah.

According to the BJP MP, the Leader of Opposition used expressions that have previously been identified as unsuitable for parliamentary proceedings. He argued that such remarks violated provisions of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha governing offensive expressions, personal references and defamatory statements.

Thakur maintained that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had objected to the remarks during the debate and demanded that they be removed from the official record. Despite the objection, Gandhi allegedly continued using the expressions after being cautioned by the Chair.

The notice further contended that Gandhi’s comments amounted to a breach of Rule 352, which regulates the use of offensive language and prohibits members from making personal references or questioning the bona fides of individuals unless essential to the debate.

The BJP leader also accused Gandhi of violating Rule 353 by making serious allegations against Home Minister Amit Shah without giving prior notice to the Speaker or the concerned minister. He argued that the rule exists to ensure fairness by allowing the concerned minister sufficient time to verify facts and prepare a response before allegations are raised in the House.

Thakur claimed the allegations were unsupported by documentary evidence and deprived the Home Minister of an opportunity to respond adequately. He further alleged that Gandhi’s conduct disrupted the orderly functioning of the House and reflected disregard for the authority of the Speaker.

Seeking action under the relevant parliamentary rules, Thakur urged the Speaker to admit the notice under Rule 222, order the contentious remarks to be expunged under Rules 380 and 381, and refer the issue to the Privileges Committee under Rule 227 for further inquiry.

He also expressed willingness to provide additional material, including official parliamentary records and video footage of the July 29 proceedings, if required by the Chair or the committee.

Separately, BJP chief whip in the Lok Sabha Sanjay Jaiswal also wrote to Speaker Om Birla, raising objections to Gandhi’s comments. Jaiswal argued that while robust criticism of government policies is an essential feature of parliamentary democracy, personal attacks and language considered insulting or defamatory have no place in legislative proceedings.

He requested the Speaker to remove any expressions found to be contrary to parliamentary rules and conventions and urged the Chair to caution Gandhi to uphold the standards of dignity, restraint and decorum expected from Members of Parliament during debates.