The Gujarat Assembly on Wednesday witnessed heated exchange of words between members of the opposition and ruling parties over a Point of Order raised by Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani alleging breach of privilege by AAP legislator Gopal Italia.
After Question Hour, Vaghani said that Italia committed a “breach of privilege” by giving a media byte about a starred question that was not discussed in the House on Tuesday (March 10).
Speaking on the Point of Order, minister Arjun Modhwadia said, without naming Italia, that making statements inside or outside of the House with an intention of humiliating somebody is against the traditions of Gujarat.
Italia defends action
The Point of Order was strongly opposed by Italia. “The point here (raised by Vaghani) is that a question which has not been discussed here (in the House) cannot be discussed outside. The rule says that whichever questions are raised through the medium of Assembly and whichever answers are given by the government….they become the public property of the House which means it is the property of the people of Gujarat. We publish it on NeVA (National e-Vidhan Application – web portal of the Assembly) as well. I have not spoken about anything secret which is not there on NeVA platform…the question is already there on NeVA portal. People of the entire country can see it. The matter of whether discussion takes place or not is connected only with one hour of the Question Hour. But whatever answer has been given by the government, it is the right of the people of Gujarat to know what the MLAs ask in the House and what is the reply of the government. Both sides have been making political observations outside the House. There cannot be a ban on making political observations outside the House. It can be inside the House,” Italia said.
“A decision on what observations and comments I made outside the House cannot be taken inside the House,” he added. Referring to an indirect comment made by a legislator earlier in the House, Italia said, “We cannot tell any member or minister that they speak by keeping media/newspapers in mind. Whoever speaks here, he/she speaks by keeping people of Gujarat in mind and not any institution. It is up to the media or any other institution how they perceive anything spoken here,” Italia said.
Italia also sought to reply to a comment made by Vaghani about him earlier in the House.
“Naming me, he (Vaghani) said (I behave like a ) landlord. What does that mean?… I may be believing I am the Prime Minister, it is my problem. How can you tell me that I am a landlord? I may consider myself the President of America, it is my problem…And why should I consider myself mad? I believe I am intelligent. I am educated. I am not ‘eighth-pass (class 8 pass)’ and therefore I believe I am intelligent. And I am proud that I am BA, LLB and LLM and will say that proudly,” Italia said. Italia also said that he never intended to humiliate anybody. He reiterated his objection to the point of order, claiming questions before the House are “public property” which could be discussed even outside.
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BJP reply
In reply to Italia, Vaghani said, “(Italia) talks about Class 8. How much did Keshubhai (Patel, the first BJP Chief Minister of Gujarat) study?…Who had gone to take blessings of Keshubapa?…Go respond to the media on Keshubhai’s education…Such kind of talk… If not an insult, what is it?”
As Vaghani commented, apparently suggesting that Italia’s jibe of ‘Class 8 pass’ was meant for Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
Sanghavi too joined the discussion. “In BA LLB, he may have read all the laws, but he must not have read if a shoe can be hurled at somebody or not.”
The deputy CM was referring to the incident in 2017 when Italia hurled a shoe at the then Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja in the Assembly complex.
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Sanghavi said that it can be discussed before the media on what happened in the House.
“(But), it is important what you speak while citing the answer to the question (raised) in the Assembly,” he said. He then said that a committee should be appointed to inquire what happened in the House during one month and how it was narrated before the media. A decision can be taken after a survey in that regard is conducted which, he said, can make things clear.
Sanghavi then said, “…someone may have studied less, but I don’t think that under the curriculum of B.A and LL.B such training to speak lies is being given.” As per Sanghavi’s affidavit before Election Commission in 2022, his ‘highest educational qualification’ is Class 9 pass.
Congress backs Italia
The Point of Order was opposed by Congress legislators Shailesh Parmar and Amit Chavda.
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Parmar said that when the government has given the answer to a question it is the right of the legislators to talk to the media about it in the form of byte or a press note. “There cannot be a ban on it,” Parmar said. Congress state party president Amit Chavda said: “(Members) cannot be stopped from doing fact-based talk about the questions (in the Assembly) with the media. And to make political observation outside is a right of any public representative. I believe that there is no breach of privilege in that. So, your (Speaker’s) clear guidance and decision (on this) is necessary.” Speaker Shankar Chaudhary reserved his decision on the point of order, stating “I think I will have to give an elaborate decision on this.”
