Privilege battle in Parliament: BJP, Congress lock horns over 'edited video' controversy

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that Gandhi's actions were aimed at "fomenting public sentiment" and tarnishing the dignity of Parliament. Dubey urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to investigate the matter and suspend Gandhi until the probe's findings are presented.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday (December 20) filed a privilege motion against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of sharing a "criminally edited" video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on X (formerly Twitter). The BJP MP demanded Gandhi's immediate suspension for what he termed as "dastardly conduct."

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that a similar motion had been moved against Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge. This comes a day after Kharge filed a privilege motion against Shah, alleging contempt of the House.

In his notice, Dubey claimed that the Opposition leader's actions amounted to a breach of parliamentary privileges and contempt of the House, warranting severe punishment. "By conspiring to undertake such a shameful act, Shri Rahul Gandhi has surpassed all limits of sensible behaviour expected from the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. This calls for exemplary punishment, including his immediate suspension from the House and its Committees, followed by a thorough investigation by the Committee of Privileges," Dubey said.

He further alleged that Gandhi's actions were aimed at "fomenting public sentiment" and tarnishing the dignity of Parliament. Dubey urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to investigate the matter and suspend Gandhi until the probe's findings are presented.

Reacting to these developments, Congress MP Hibi Eden questioned the status of privilege motions previously filed against Dubey and BJP leader Sambit Patra. "We had moved privilege motions against Nishikant Dubey and Sambit Patra earlier. I’d like to ask about their status. There were journalists and MPs present during the alleged incident. Let the CCTV footage be released; it will prove the truth. The allegations by BJP are baseless. This is not the attitude of Rahul Gandhi or the Congress," Eden said.

Eden also addressed the controversy surrounding Gandhi's entry through the Makar Dwar gate in Parliament and said, "The Leader of Opposition holds a constitutional position and has every right to enter the House to attend sessions."