BJP MPs file breach of privilege notice against Sonia Gandhi for remark about president

A group of Bharatiya Janata Party MPs on Monday submitted a breach of privilege notice in the Rajya Sabha against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for her “derogatory and slanderous” statements about President Droupadi Murmu, ANI reported.

Following Murmu’s customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget session on Friday, Gandhi told reporters: “Poor lady, the president was getting very tired by the end [of the speech]. She could hardly speak, poor thing.”

The Rashtrapati Bhavan and the BJP criticised the Rajya Sabha MP’s remarks,, The Indian Express reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Congress’ “royal family” had allegedly insulted tribal communities and the poor, while the President’s Office said that the comments were in “poor taste, unfortunate and entirely avoidable”.

On Monday, BJP legislators, led by former Union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste, met Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar and submitted the breach of parliamentary privilege, ethics and propriety notice, PTI reported. The MPs sought disciplinary action against Gandhi.

In the notice, the legislators claimed that the remarks were “a clear manifestation of elitist and anti-tribal mindset of Smt. Gandhi who is yet to understand the struggle and sensitivity of a tribal poor”.

The notice said that her “unparliamentary, derogatory and demeaning remarks” warranted serious consideration and disciplinary action.

“It is with deep concern that…

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