The Congress on Wednesday hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing the BJP leadership of indulging in “abuse and defamation” after a remark made by him during a debate in the Lok Sabha was expunged from the parliamentary record.
The sharp exchange followed a heated discussion in the Lower House on a resolution moved by opposition members seeking the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The motion was eventually rejected by a voice vote after protests and sloganeering by opposition MPs.
Reacting to Shah’s speech, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said one of the home minister’s “favourite words”, used again during the debate, had been removed from the official records.
“One of the Home Minister's favourite words uttered again today in the Lok Sabha has been expunged,” Ramesh said in a post on X, adding that a similar expression had earlier been expunged in December last year.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, the Congress leader said the “G2 are masters of abuse and defamation”. The Congress frequently uses the term “G2” to refer to the two leaders, both of whom hail from Gujarat.
The row erupted after Shah responded to remarks by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who had alleged that he was repeatedly prevented from speaking in the House.
Rejecting the claim, Shah said opposition leaders were not being stopped from participating in debates and accused Gandhi of spreading “false propaganda”.
Also read: Shah slams Oppn over no-trust motion against Speaker Om Birla
“False propaganda is being spread that opposition leaders are not allowed to speak. Rahul Gandhi said he is not allowed to speak. But the fact is he doesn't want to speak in the Lok Sabha,” Shah said.
The home minister also cited Gandhi’s attendance record and claimed that the Congress leader frequently remained abroad during parliamentary sessions.
Opposition members strongly protested the remarks and rushed to the Well of the House, demanding an apology from the home minister and alleging that the comments were offensive.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the debate was about the conduct of the Speaker and not Rahul Gandhi. He also questioned the absence of the prime minister during the discussion.
“Mr Home Minister, the issue for discussion is the unconstitutional and anti-democratic conduct of the Speaker, not whether LoP Rahul Gandhi is in the House or not,” Venugopal said.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also criticised Shah’s remarks, saying the home minister had not been stopped by the Chair despite using objectionable language.
Amid the uproar, the resolution against Speaker Birla was put to vote and rejected by voice vote, after which the House was adjourned for the day.
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