RS Chairman Dismisses Privilege Motion Notice Against Amit Shah, Emphasizes Truthful Conduct

(Delhi 27March,2025)

In a defeat for the Congress party, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disallowed lawmaker Jairam Ramesh's privilege notice against Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.

Congress Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh gave a privilege notice to Union Home Minister Shah for making a statement which he said was derogatory towards Sonia Gandhi, a member of Rajya Sabha and the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

Chairman Dhankhar expounded that during Mr. Shah's infamous remark, there was a display of discontent among some members of Parliament, and the Home Minister stated that he would verify his words.

Mr. Dhankhar further said that the privilege notice by Ramesh, who has been in the news recently, said that messages sent to the Chair (a common practice even before the current Chairman) should remain private.

The Chairman also commented that he agreed with the verification done by Mr. Shah on the basis of an event in 1948. Opposition members objected, stating that "this is 2025." Finally, Chairman Dhankhar approved the verification done by Home Minister Shah and dismissed Mr. Ramesh's privilege notice.

On Wednesday, Ramesh submitted his notice under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States to Chairman Dhankhar.

In his letter to the Chairman, he penned, "I hereby give a notice of question of privilege under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs, for casting aspersions against Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Member of Rajya Sabha and Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party."

Referring to the Union Home Minister Shah's speech in his response to the debate on Disaster Management Bill 2024 on March 25, the Congress leader alleged that he had mentioned, " The PM relief fund was established during the Congress government, and under this government's rule, the PM Cares fund was initiated. Under the Congress government, there was just one family in power, and the Congress president was a part of it.". The Congress President is in the government fund, what will they say to the people of this nation? Doesn't anybody read or watch this? They said.