New Delhi: A day after BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s controversial caste remarks about Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party has initiated a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This motion was filed by former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who submitted it to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, citing the Prime Minister’s post on X (formerly Twitter) that contained expunged remarks.
The controversy erupted during the discussion on the Union Budget when Anurag Thakur made veiled caste jibes at Rahul Gandhi, causing an uproar in Lok Sabha. In his speech on Monday, Rahul Gandhi had asserted that the INDIA bloc would pass the Caste Census in the House.
Channi’s notice for the privilege motion stated: “I hereby give the notice to move a privilege motion under Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha against the Prime Minister for having tweeted on ‘X’ a portion of remarks which were expunged from the proceedings of the House by the Chair.”
The notice highlighted that on July 30, 2024, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expunged certain objectionable remarks made by Anurag Thakur. However, these expunged remarks were tweeted by Prime Minister Modi, along with the entire speech video, on X. The notice emphasized that the expunged portions being published amounted to a breach of privilege. It cited legal precedents, including the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Searchlight case, to underline the severity of this breach.
“In view of the foregoing, the Prime Minister’s tweeting of remarks which had been expunged from the proceedings of Lok Sabha amounts to a breach of privilege and contempt of the House,” Channi asserted, requesting the Speaker to admit the motion and initiate privilege proceedings against the Prime Minister.
Rahul Gandhi, responding to Thakur’s remarks, accused him of insulting and abusing him during the debate but maintained that he would not seek an apology. “Anurag Thakur insulted me and I don’t want any apology from him. Abuse or insult me as much as you want, but don’t forget we will pass the caste census in this Parliament for sure,” he stated in the House.
The Congress termed Thakur’s speech a “highly abusive and unconstitutional tirade” and accused PM Modi of encouraging a “serious breach of parliamentary privilege” by sharing it on X. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, tagging Modi’s post on X, said, “This speech that the non-biological Prime Minister calls a ‘must hear’ is a highly abusive and unconstitutional tirade – and by sharing it, he has encouraged a serious breach of Parliamentary privilege.”
Ramesh criticized Thakur for bringing parliamentary discourse to a new low by questioning Rahul Gandhi’s caste identity and noted that despite opposition protests, the Chair assured MPs that the comments would be expunged. However, he pointed out that Sansad TV had uploaded the unedited speech online, and PM Modi had shared and praised it publicly.
“This is a new and shameful low in the annals of India’s parliamentary history. It reflects the BJP-RSS and Modi’s deep-rooted casteism,” said Ramesh, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
