Tempers ran high in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday over the BJP MP’s question on Tuesday about Rahul Gandhi‘s caste status with the Congress members alleging an attempt to “insult Gandhi”, and the ruling side hitting back by arguing that Congress and Gandhi should not resent questions about his caste as he has been asking the same questions to others.
After an adjournment of the Lok sabha, a Congress MP filed a breach of privilege notice against PM Narendra Modi for tweeting the video of BJP MP Anurag Thakur‘s House speech, including “an expunged part” even as the INDIA bloc ally Trinamool Congress MPs conspicuously disengaged from the Congress’ protest. As soon as the House assembled, the Congress MPs and many of its allies protested the contentious remark made by Thakur on Tuesday when he flagged the question of Gandhi’s caste. The Opposition MPs demanded Thakur’s apology for the (expunged) remark even as the ruling side MPs tried to counter the Opposition while backing Thakur. Amid the Opposition protest, Speaker Om Birla proceeded with most of the Question Hour.
Intervening during the protest, parliamentary affairs minister Kiran Rijijju said: “Rahul Gandhi keeps asking about caste every day, but when we ask about their caste, how can they protest?”
The Speaker then adjourned the House till 12 noon. When the House reassembled, the Congress MPs and others joined the proceedings.
In his notice for breach of privilege filed against PM Modi, Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi argued that the video of Thakur’s entire speech in the Lok Sabha which the PM posted on X on Tuesday evening also contained the “expunged” remark. “It is, however, shocking to notice that these expunged portions have been treated by the Prime Minister on X along with the whole speech video (of Thakur). In addition to this, other objectionable expunged words in the speech had also been tweeted… The PM’s tweeting of the remarks which had been expunged from the proceedings of Lok Sabha clearly amounts to a breach of privilege and contempt of the House,” Channi said in his notice to the Speaker.
Meanwhile, some members in the Opposition were also surprised why Gandhi was not prepared with a clear answer to what was seen as an imminent counter question from the BJP on his caste.
While Gandhi avoided any comments on the matter, party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s comments gave an impression of the party seeing the question in the context of Gandhi’s parents’ inter-religion marriage. “He (Thakur) said this purposely to insult Rahulji. Several BJP leaders also have inter-caste and inter-faith marriages. They should look in the mirror and then speak… He (Thakur) is immature but was there a need for the PM to tweet (his speech),” Kharge said.
However, Rijijju attacked the Congress and said, “I condemn what Congress has done, they keep talking about caste all the time. They ask the caste of media people and Army personnel. Congress has hatched a conspiracy to divide the country based on caste. If they keep asking about everyone’s caste, why Rahul Gandhi’s caste can’t be asked? Are they above the country and Parliament?”
