Congress Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday moved a Privilege notice against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the house “for casting aspersions on Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party”.
Ramesh submitted a notice under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
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”I hereby give a notice of question of privilege in terms of Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs, for casting aspersions on Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Member of Rajya Sabha and Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party,” the Rajya Sabha MP said in his letter to Chairman Dhankhar.
Quoting the Union home minister’s speech during his reply to the debate on Disaster Management Bill 2024 on March 25, the Congress leader claimed that he had said, “The PM relief fund was made during the Congress regime, and during this government’s tenure, the PM Cares fund was started. During the Congress regime only one family had control, and the Congress president was a member of this. The Congress president is part of the government fund, what reply will they give to the people of this country? Doesn’t anyone read or see this?”
”Even though the home minister didn’t take the name of Smt Sonia Gandhi but he had categorically, by implication, referred to her and imputed motives to her vis-à-vis the functioning of the National Prime Minister’s Relief Fund (NPMRF). ”
He said it is well established that it is a breach of privilege and contempt of the House to cast reflections or make derogatory references to any member of the House.
”In the instant case, the home minister had made unfounded allegations against Ms Sonia Gandhi with a premeditated motive to malign her reputation. The home minister’s statement is blatantly false and is defamatory. This tantamounts to a breach of Ms Gandhi. Hence, the matter constitutes a breach of privilege and contempt of the House as well,” the letter said.
He requested that privilege proceedings may be initiated against HM Shah.
