Opposition Party leaders Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, and others discuss to media throughout Budget Session, at Parliament House complicated in New Delhi, on Feb. 13, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil on Tuesday filed a breach of privilege notice against Piyush Goyal, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, for allegedly violating the foundations and established procedures by making allegations against a Lok Sabha member.
In his notice to the Rajya Sabha Chairman below Rule 188, Mr. Gohil mentioned Mr. Goyal violated Rule 238, which clearly states that “no allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature shall be made by a member against any other member or a member of the House”.
As the Upper House resumed for the afternoon session on Monday after being adjourned earlier, Mr. Goyal mentioned he had raised a critical matter within the morning concerning a senior Congress chief going overseas and stating that “democracy is in danger” in India and even sought the U.S. and Europe to intrude within the nation’s affairs.
In his notice, Mr. Gohil mentioned on March 13, Mr. Goyal raised the matter concerning some observations made by the “Member of the other House…”.
The Congress chief argued that it’s a time-honoured custom that reference shouldn’t be made in a single House a couple of Member of the opposite House.
“It is pertinent to note that Shri Piyush Goyal repeatedly spoke about (an) hon’ble Member of the Lok Sabha and kept on stating facts which were not true. Mr. Goyal criticized a Member of the Lok Sabha without truth and was intentionally going on with derogatory remarks,” Mr. Gohil mentioned in his notice.
The Congress member cited a number of examples when the chair dominated up to now that no member can elevate allegations against a member of the opposite House.
Mr. Gohil argued that there have been instances within the Rajya Sabha when cognizance was additionally taken of common statements made against a Member of Parliament of their absence.
“No opposition member has ever raised an issue regarding critical remarks made by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi on foreign soil,” the Congress MP mentioned, citing examples of the prime minister’s remarks in Shanghai, South Korea, and Canada.
