BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to initiate a Privilege Motion against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of "distorting facts" and undermining India's reputation with his remarks in Parliament. Dubey's letter to the Speaker comes after Gandhi claimed that Chinese troops were occupying Indian territory due to the failure of the 'Make in India' initiative.
Calling Gandhi's speech "mischievous," Dubey alleged that the Raebareli MP had "shamelessly distorted historical and substantive facts to ridicule India and lower the prestige of the Republic." He reminded the Speaker that Gandhi had been asked to authenticate his statements on the House floor but had failed to do so. "To the best of my knowledge, this 'erudite' person has neither authenticated his gibberish canards nor apologized for using the pious forum of Parliament to defame our country and the elected government," Dubey wrote.
Gandhi, during his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address on Monday, asserted that China had surged ahead of India in manufacturing, leaving the country nearly a decade behind in key industrial sectors. He further claimed that Beijing was now "sitting on over 4,000 sq km" of Indian land, contradicting the government's stance that no territory had been lost. The Congress leader also alleged that the Indian Army had contradicted the Prime Minister's claims regarding the border situation.
Adding fuel to the political storm, Gandhi accused External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar of traveling to the United States in December 2024 to secure an invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. This claim sparked uproar in the Lok Sabha, with BJP leaders denouncing it as baseless.
Gandhi also raised concerns over the Maharashtra Assembly election results, demanding data from the Election Commission to examine where new voters were added. "Nearly 70 lakh new voters suddenly appeared between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections," he said, alleging that more voters were added in five months than in the previous five years.
Dubey, in his letter, accused Gandhi of attempting to "destabilise the country and the economy by spreading misinformation and sowing discord among citizens." He further stated that Gandhi’s remarks were an attempt to mislead the public and malign the government, warranting action under parliamentary privileges. With political tensions running high, the demand for a Privilege Motion signals another chapter in the ongoing political battle between the BJP and the Congress.
