Congress gives breach of privilege notice over PM's remarks on Nehru surname

Congress leader K C Venugopal on Friday gave Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar a breach of privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on why former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's family did not use his surname.

The prime minister's remarks were made during his reply to the motion of thanks on the president's address in the Rajya Sabha on February 9 during the first part of the budget session.

"I hereby give a notice of question of privilege against the prime minister of India under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Council of States (Rajya Sabha) for having cast reflections upon members of Parliament during his reply to the motion of thanks on the president's address on February 9, 2023," Venugopal said in his notice.

He alleged that the remarks prima facie were made in a mocking manner and were not only disgraceful but also insulting and defamatory vis-a-vis members of the Nehru family, particularly Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who are members of the Lok Sabha.

Venugopal said in his notice that the very suggestion by the prime minister on why they did not take Nehru as a surname is "preposterous" by its very nature.

The prime minister, he said, knows very well that the surname of the father is not taken by daughter.

"Despite knowing that, he deliberately mocked....The tone and tenor of the remark is insinuating and derogatory in nature. This clearly amounts to casting reflections upon Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by the prime minister, which breaches upon their privileges and also tantamounts to contempt of the house.

"I seek privilege proceedings against Shri Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, for having made derogatory, insulting, distasteful and defamatory remarks against Smt Sonia Gandhi and Shri Rahul Gandhi which has amounted to breach of their privileges and also contempt of the house," the Congress Rajya Sabha member said in his notice.

The BJP has been demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi after the party launched a major offensive against him over his "democracy under threat" remarks made recently in London. The party alleged that the former Congress chief has defamed India and its institutions on foreign soil.