No Privilege Motion Against Rahul Gandhi, But Speech Parts to Be Expunged; BJP MP Demands Lifetime Poll Ban For 'Destabilizing India'

New Delhi: The government has decided not to move a privilege motion against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, despite controversy surrounding his recent speech in Parliament. Sources said that certain words and lines from Gandhi's address delivered on Wednesday are likely to be expunged from the official records, as the allegations he made were reportedly unauthenticated and unsubstantiated.

In a counter-escalation, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has submitted a substantive motion in the Lok Sabha against Rahul Gandhi. Dubey accused the Congress leader of misleading the nation with assistance from "anti-India forces," including alleged links to the Soros Foundation, Ford Foundation, and USAID. He claimed Gandhi has engaged in "unethical conduct" by traveling to countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the US while colluding with entities aimed at destabilizing India.

In a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Dubey described Gandhi as part of a "thuggery gang to de-stabilize India from within," alleging his actions, both inside and outside Parliament, are "inimical" to the country and part of a "well-choreographed" effort to defame the government across sectors like defence, finance, commerce, and external affairs. Dubey called for the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee to probe Gandhi's conduct as an MP and Leader of Opposition, with a view to his immediate expulsion from the Lok Sabha and rescinding his MP status.

The BJP MP further demanded the termination of Rahul Gandhi's parliamentary membership and a lifetime ban on him contesting elections, framing it as necessary to counter what he termed a "foreign-aided tool kit" infiltrating Indian polity for "devious" plans to destabilize the nation. Dubey emphasized that Gandhi's "Frankensteinian proportions" of unethical behavior warrant discussion in the House so citizens understand the alleged threats.

This development marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing parliamentary confrontation during the Budget Session, following Gandhi's criticisms of government policies. The government has clarified it is pursuing expungement rather than a privilege motion, while the BJP pushes ahead with the substantive motion route for broader scrutiny and potential action.