In a setback to the Congress, on Thursday, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected grand-old party lawmaker Jairam Ramesh’s notice of privilege against Home Minister Amit Shah.
Congress Chief Whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh has moved a Privilege notice against Union Home Minister Shah “for casting aspersions on Sonia Gandhi, Member of Rajya Sabha and Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party.”
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Chairman Dhankhar said that when Mr Shah made the comment that had been objected to, some MPs took exception, and the Home Minister said that he would authenticate his statement.
Mr Dhankhar said Mr Ramesh’s notice of privilege has found wide traction in the media. ”If a communication is sent to the Chair, as has been indicated in the bulletin and a long-standing practice, it should not get published,” he said.
The Chairman also informed the House that he has taken note of the authentication. He read out the authentication submitted by Mr Shah, which quoted an instance from 1948. Opposition Members objected to the statement, saying that “this is 2025”. Chairman Dhankhar accepted the authentication submitted by HM Shah, and rejected Mr Ramesh’s notice of privilege.
Ramesh Wednesday submitted a notice under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States to Rajya Sabha Chairman Dhankhar.
”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 Shah’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 a part of the Government fund, what reply will they give to the people of this country? Doesn’t anyone read or see this?”
