Congress MP KC Venugopal moves privilege motion against PM Modi for ‘derogatory’ remarks against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17

Congress MP KC Venugopal on Friday wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar for privilege proceedings against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making “derogatory, distasteful and defamatory” remarks against party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Venugopal, in his notice to the Chairman under Rule 188, cited the Prime Minister’s February 9 speech during the reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

In response to the Congress accusing him of not mentioning Nehru in his speeches, Modi had said that none of Nehru’s descendants used the Nehru surname. While Modi avoided specific mentions of the Adani-Hindenburg issue in his speech then, he had said that keechad (dirt) flung at him would actually help the kamal (lotus) bloom, referring to the BJP’s election symbol. During his speech the Opposition had stormed the well of the House shouting slogans about Adani.

Venugopal’s notice is seen as an attempt to counter the BJP’s aggressive stance against Rahul Gandhi for his “democracy under threat” remark made in London.