New Delhi: Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday gave a notice for breach of privilege against Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly casting aspersions on Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi during his reply on a bill in the upper house.
In his notice filed to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Ramesh said on March 25, Shah, while replying to the debate on the Disaster Management Bill, 2024, had inter alia stated that the PM Relief Fund was created during Congress rule and PM Cares was set up in Narendra Modi’s tenure.
“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,” Ramesh said in his notice of question of privilege against Shah.
He said Shah during his reply had stated, “During Congress rule, only one family had the control and the Congress president was a member of it. The Congress president was a part of the government fund. What will they reply to the government?.”
Ramesh said as may be seen on perusal of Shah’s statement, even though the Home Minister did not take the name of Sonia Gandhi, “but he had categorically by implication referred to her and imputed motives to her vis-a-vis the functioning of the National Prime Minister’s Relief Fund (NPMRF).”
“It is well established that it is 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 Smt. Sonia Gandhi with a premeditated motive to malign her reputation. The Home Minister’s statement is blatantly false and is defamatory. This tantamounts to breach of privilege of Smt. Sonia Gandhi. Hence, this matter constitutes a breach of privilege and the contempt of the House as well,” the Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha said.
“In view of the foregoing, privilege proceedings may be initiated against Shri Amit Shah, Union Home Minister,” he said.
