Contempt Notice On PM Remarks: Rahul Gandhi Asked To Respond By Wednesday

Congress's Rahul Gandhi has been asked to respond to a notice by the BJP regarding his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in parliament. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has filed a complaint alleging breach of privilege by the Congress MP. Mr Gandhi has to respond by Wednesday, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has said.

Mr Gandhi had targetted PM Modi earlier this week, while participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, questioning his links with billionaire Gautam Adani. Citing the meteoric rise in Mr Adani's fortunes after the BJP came to power in 2014, Mr Gandhi had accused the Prime Minister of crony capitalism.

The BJP has alleged that his comments were contemptuous, unparliamentary and misleading. The party also pointed out Mr Adani's business interests in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and other opposition-ruled states.

On Wednesday, Nishikant Dubey wrote to Speaker Om Birla, giving a notice of breach of privilege against Mr Gandhi. His note accused Mr Gandhi of accusing PM Modi without any "documentary evidence" and "misleading the house".

Rahul Gandhi "has not submitted any duly authenticated document for supporting his statements. As such, he has made a statement which amounts to misleading of the House in the absence of any documentary evidence," Mr Dubey wrote.

His remarks were "misleading, derogatory, indecent, unparliamentary, undignified and incriminatory in nature to," the BJP MP added.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had also written to the Speaker saying under Rule 380, the "unparliamentary, dishonorable allegations" by Mr Gandhi should be removed from the proceedings of the House.

The comments were expunged earlier this week, setting up raucous protests from the Congress. "Democracy was cremated" in Lok Sabha, the party said. In a statement today, the Congress said unless "free, frank and fearless discussion is allowed to take place within the two Houses of Parliament, democracy is fundamentally and irreversibly imperiled".

Mr Gandhi's allegations against PM Modi came amid spotlight on Mr Adani's companies after US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud by the group. The controversy has led to massive disruptions in both houses of parliament during the ongoing budget session.

The Adani Group has called the Hindenburg report a "malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations that have been tested and rejected by India's highest courts".