New Delhi: The Indian National Congress on Tuesday issued a breach of privilege notice against Union Minister Piyush Goyal for making “derogatory remarks” against senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The notice was issued a day after Goyal attacked Gandhi over his comments in London about India's democracy being under attack.
In the notice, Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil said that Goyal violated Rule 238 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States. The rule prohibits members from making defamatory or incriminatory remarks against other members or a member of the House. Gohil argued that Goyal spoke about a member of the Lok Sabha (Gandhi) outside the House and made statements that were not true.
Gohil also cited some previous instances to support his argument. In one case, a speech made by a member of the Lok Sabha outside Parliament was not allowed to be raised in the Rajya Sabha. In another case, the then Chairman of Rajya Sabha V.V. Giri stated that members of one House should not use the freedom of speech on the floor of the House to make allegations or charges against members of the other House.
Without naming Gandhi, Goyal had accused a senior Opposition leader of attacking India's democracy in a shameless manner on foreign soil. He alleged that the leader had insulted the Indian Army, Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker, Election Commission, judiciary, and media. Goyal had demanded an apology from the Opposition leader to the country, every Indian, the Army, media, and judiciary for his remarks on democracy.
Congress has hit back at Goyal, calling his allegations baseless and untrue. The party has accused Goyal of making false statements to defame a senior Congress leader. This is not the first time that the Congress has issued a breach of privilege notice against a Union Minister. In the past, the party has issued such notices against Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur.
The breach of privilege notice against Goyal comes at a time when the Opposition is intensifying its attack on the government over the ongoing farmers' protests, rising fuel prices, and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Congress and other opposition parties have accused the government of suppressing dissent and curbing freedom of speech.
The breach of privilege notice against Goyal is likely to escalate the political tensions in the country. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition have been engaged in a bitter war of words, with both sides accusing each other of spreading false information and indulging in political mudslinging. As the country heads into the 2024 general elections, political tensions are likely to rise further, and the breach of privilege notice against Goyal is just one indication of the intensifying political battle in the country.
