New opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A on Tuesday issued a notice of privilege against Union Minister Piyush Goyal for allegedly using non-parliamentary speech in the Rajya Sabha. Parliamentary Secretary-General Jairam Ramesh alleges that Goyal, the head of the Senate, called opposition leaders "traitors".
Rajya Sabha President Jagdeep Dhankhar said Jairam Ramesh met him in his cabin and reported that Piyush Goyal used a non-parliamentary word in his speech in the Senate. Dhankar said he will review the sentence and remove it from the House of Commons records.
Among the parties whose leaders expressed their opinions were the National Assembly, TMC, AAP, RJD, DMK, RJD, JDU, NCP and leftist parties. Meanwhile, Jairam Ramesh took to X, formerly Twitter, saying: "Today at 1pm. INDIA party leaders in Rajya Sabha have filed a petition of privilege against the Leader of Director of the House of Representatives Piyush Goyal for calling the opposition "traitors." Anything less than an apology from him on the floor, when there is order, will do."
Ramesh added, "The INDIA parties have left the Rajya Sabha today for the rest of the day due to:
1. The Modi government continues to refuse to allow immediate discussion of Manipur based on a mutually negotiated offer. 2. The Leader of the House of Representatives Piyush Goyal continues to refuse to apologize for the very reprehensible and completely unacceptable remarks he has made towards the leaders of the INDIA parties.
Later, other members of the opposition bloc demanded an apology from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. However, later in the House of Commons, Piyush Goyal said he would remove any words that might not be parliamentary and urged the speaker to remove them from the record.
RAJYA SABHA PROCEDURES TODAY
The Rajya Sabha paused for a second time during the pre-lunch period amid an uproar in the House of Commons over media coverage of China's funding of a portal aimed at anti-India propaganda.
BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi raised the issue and asked Congress about his alleged links to the portal.
He raised the issue of a US media report alleging that the portal "NewsClick" received Chinese funding for propaganda against India.
An American said the Chinese Communist Party tried to use propaganda against India through foreign funding on Newsclick, he said. House of Representatives leader Piyush Goyal said 'kya hai ye ajeeb rishta' (what is this connection) and alleged that they are participating in a plot against India and should have a discussion on the subject. Later, Goyal also urged the president to remove the sentence in the House of Representatives.
"They are funding India and propagandizing in the House of Commons. What is this relationship with Rahul Gandhi... The country should know what this relationship is and should they say if they are on the side of China or ' India," said Goyal.
