Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said the government will move a privilege notice against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi
for allegedly misleading the House and making “baseless statements.” Addressing a press conference, Rijiju said there are clear rules governing procedure and conduct of business in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. He noted that when a member intends to level serious charges or allegations against another member, prior notice must be given and a substantive motion moved in accordance with established norms. “On the floor of the House, I requested Rahul Gandhi to provide the necessary authentication of the points he has made,” Rijiju said, adding that the government expects members to adhere strictly to parliamentary rules.
On Tuesday, Kiren Rijiju had said that “very ugly scenes” could have taken place in the Lok Sabha if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers had confronted opposition members during protests earlier this month.
Speaking to reporters, Rijiju referred to disruptions on February 4, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. The BJP later released video footage that it said showed Congress women lawmakers moving toward the treasury benches and the PM's seat.
Rijiju said BJP leaders had instructed their members to maintain the dignity of the House and avoid any physical confrontation. “If we had not stopped our MPs and allowed them to confront the Congress members, it would have led to very ugly scenes,” he said.
The BJP, in a post on social media platform X, alleged that the actions of the opposition members were coordinated and amounted to a “pre-planned provocation.” The party questioned the intent behind opposition lawmakers approaching the PM's seat and called the conduct unprecedented.
Video clips released by the BJP showed Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Ashwini Vaishnaw urging opposition members to return to their seats. Rijiju accused Congress lawmakers of crossing into the treasury benches and disrespecting parliamentary norms.
He said BJP women lawmakers have submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking strict action against opposition members for what they described as misconduct. Rijiju also alleged that some opposition members later went to the speaker’s chamber and raised objections there.
The Lok Sabha has faced repeated disruptions since February 2 after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was prevented from quoting from a media report based on excerpts of former Army chief MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir, which referenced the 2020 India-China border conflict.
Due to continued protests, Modi was unable to deliver his reply on February 4. In a rare move, the Motion of Thanks was passed the following day by voice vote without the PM's customary address.
Eight opposition lawmakers have since been suspended for the remainder of the Budget session over unruly behaviour.
