As Opposition targets Smriti Irani, BJP guns for Jyotiraditya Scindia

‘Privilege’ war rocks Lok Sabha

After the Opposition gave notice for a breach of privilege motion against HRD minister Smriti Irani, the BJP sought to return the “favour” by moving a similar notice against Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is the Congress chief whip in the Lok Sabha.

After the Lok Sabha bagan proceedings on Tuesday, BJP chief whip Arjun Ram Meghwal said he and many others, including labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya, had given a notice of breach of privilege against Mr Scindia. They accused the Congress leader of “misleading” the House on February 24. Mr Meghwal claimed the Congress chief whip wrongly alleged that Mr Dattatreya had called deceased Hyderabad University student Rohith Vemula “anti-national, casteist and extremist”. The BJP leader had, incidentally, raised the issue when AIADMK MPs trooped into the Well of the House demanding action against former Union minister P. Chidambaram’s son Karti on the Aircel-Maxis issue.

The Congress and Left parties had given notice of a privilege motion against Ms Irani on Monday. Speaker Sumitra Majahan told the Opposition leaders their notice was under consideration when they sought to disrupt the presentation of the Union Budget on Monday.

After the BJP MP raised the issue of breach of privilege against Mr Scindia, Congress MPs too trooped into the Well demanding their notice against Ms Irani be decided first. Amid pandemonium, Mr Dattatreya accused Mr Scindia of “defaming him and tarnishing” his image by attributing such comments to him, which he claimed he never made about Vemula. “My mother used to sell onions. I have always worked for OBCs, dalits. I have made sacrifices for dalits,” said the minister, recalling

his humble background and work for the downtrodden. He further elaborated that his letter to Ms Irani, for which he has been attacked by Congress, had not even mentioned Vemula’s name. “I never made such a charge against him,” he said.

But the Congress members were unfazed, with party MP K.C. Venugopal showing the rule book to the Speaker, at which she shot back: “Don’t show me the rule book. I know.” Ms Mahajan added: “All the notices for privilege motions are under my consideration.” As pandemonium continued, the Speaker adjourned the House.

In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs sought to raise the breach of privilege issue against the HRD minister. “She (Irani) has misled this House and the nation through the House. Not only here, she has misled the country in both Houses. It is a very serious charge,” Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said.