Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday dismissed a privilege notice against union home minister Amit Shah for his “casting aspertions” remarks on Sonia Gandhi during the ongoing budget session of the parliament.
The notice by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh was filed after Shah referenced a 1948 government press release to substantiate his claim that a Congress leader was involved in managing the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Jairam Ramesh had alleged that Shah had made unfair accusations against Sonia Gandhi, the Congress Parliamentary Party head.
Dhankhar noted that Shah had consented to authenticate his statement following his remarks during a debate on the Disaster Management Bill, 2024 in Rajya Sabha on March 25.
According to Dhankhar, Shah had cited a Press Information Bureau statement from January 24, 1998, which documented the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s announcement of the PMNRF. The fund was to be overseen by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Indian National Congress president, and other designated individuals.
Upon thorough examination of the matter, Dhankhar concluded there was no violation and subsequently rejected the breach of privilege notice. “I have carefully gone through it. I find there has been no transgression,” Dhankhar said, rejecting the notice.
Shah on Tuesday had said, “The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund was established during Congress rule, while PM CARES was created under Narendra Modi Ji’s government, during the NDA regime. During Congress rule, a single family had control, sir. The Congress president was a member of it, sir. The Congress president had authority over government funds—the Congress president! What answer will you give to the people of this country? Do you think no one reads or watches anything?”
