New Delhi: The Congress party on Wednesday took a significant step by moving a Privilege Motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The motion comes in response to PM Modi’s social media post, which included remarks by BJP leader Anurag Thakur that had been expunged from the parliamentary proceedings.
The motion, moved under rule 222, was initiated by Charanjit Singh Channi, former Punjab Chief Minister and current Jalandhar MP. Rule 222 allows a member, with the Speaker’s consent, to raise questions involving a breach of privilege concerning a member, the House, or a Committee.
In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Channi highlighted that on July 30, 2024, certain remarks made by Anurag Thakur during a debate on the caste census were expunged by the Speaker. Channi’s letter expressed shock that PM Modi shared the expunged portions on social media platform X, along with the entire speech video.
PM Modi’s post praised Thakur’s speech, describing it as “a must hear” and “a perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the INDI Alliance.” This action by the Prime Minister has drawn sharp criticism from Congress leaders.
Rahul Gandhi, who was directly targeted in Thakur’s remarks, accused the BJP MP of insulting him. Gandhi stated he did not want an apology but emphasized the importance of passing the caste census in Parliament. “Abuse or insult me as hard as you can but don’t forget we will pass the caste census in this Parliament for sure,” Gandhi asserted.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also condemned PM Modi’s actions. He emphasized that caste should not be a topic of discussion in Parliament and criticized the Prime Minister for supporting such indecent comments. “In Parliament, you don’t ask anyone’s caste. This has been done deliberately to insult. Even the Prime Minister should not support such indecent things,” Kharge remarked.
The Privilege Motion against PM Modi is a significant development in the ongoing political tensions surrounding the caste debate in India.
