Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has strongly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his speech in the Lok Sabha during the Union Budget debate, calling it “full of lies.” The minister said the ruling alliance plans to move to expunge the statements made by Gandhi from the House records.
Rijiju said ruling alliance members will serve a notice to the Speaker seeking verification of Gandhi’s speech. “We will demand expunging of whatever lies Rahul Gandhi has spoken,” he told reporters as per PTI reports.
Although Gandhi promised to authenticate his statements, Rijiju doubted it and claimed the the LoP lied in the House saying, “I know he cannot authenticate them because he lied. He lied in the House.”
Habit of leaving after making claims
The minister also accused Gandhi of deliberately lying and then leaving the House instead of listening to ministers’ replies. “After his speech, he immediately went out of the House. The rule is that once a member delivers his speech, he cannot leave the House immediately,” Rijiju noted.
He added that it was unfortunate that the country does not have a leader of opposition with a serious approach befitting the position.
Rijiju further added that LoP Rahul Gandhi made a major allegation against Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri without giving prior notice, calling it a serious breach of privilege. “The leader of the opposition did not make any useful substantive contribution to the budget discussion but only made some wild allegations,” the minister claimed.
Rijiju emphasized that the party intends to counter Gandhi’s statements outside the House but will take official action inside.
LoP Gandhi’s allegations
During his speech, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the government had “sold Bharat Mata” through the India-US interim trade deal, calling it a “wholesale surrender” that compromised India’s energy security and farmers’ interests.
Responding to this, Rijiju said, “No one can sell or buy India, no one can think of that.” He also highlighted India’s economic progress, noting that in 2011–12 the country was considered one of the fragile five economies, but today it is the fourth largest economy and is poised to become the third largest in the world.
(With PTI Inputs)