Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday demanded action against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in Parliament alleging that favours from Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped in growth of industrialist Gautam Adani’s wealth and business, PTI reported.
Soon after the House convened on Wednesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told the Speaker that according to rules, a notice needs to be served beforehand if any MP wants to make allegations against another.
“The Congress leader [Rahul Gandhi] made some remarks yesterday,” Joshi said. “Those were very objectionable and baseless allegations. Those should be expunged and action should be taken against him.”
On Tuesday, Gandhi made a slew of allegations against the prime minister, accusing him ofhelping the Adani Group by tweaking rules and regulations in its favour.
The Wayanad MP had said that while he was leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra from September to January, the public asked him about Adani’s success and how he was able to expand his business in several sectors.
He pulled out a picture of the tycoon and the prime minister on a private jet and said: “So this is the relationship.”
Gandhi also alleged that after the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, the existing rule that only one company or a person with experience in airports be given the responsibility of developing airports was changed, and six airports were handed over to Adani.
He also added that similar favours were granted to the Adani Group in other sectors such as defence, coal, and electricity.
On Wednesday, Joshi said a privilege motion will be moved against Gandhi for his comments.
Prior to this, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had said that he has written to Speaker Om Birla alleging Gandhi of misleading the House by accusing Modi of crony capitalism without any documentary evidence.
“While participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the president’s address in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi made certain unverified, incriminatory and defamatory statements...against prime minister without giving advance notice,” Dubey wrote in his letter.
He added: “These statements are misleading, derogatory, indecent, unparliamentary, undignified and incriminatory in nature to the dignity of the House and Prime Minister being a Member of Lok Sabha.”
Dubey claimed that the incident was a clear case of contempt of the House and requested the Speaker to take action against Gandhi.
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