‘Thuggery gang to destabilise India’: BJP moves substantive motion against Rahul Gandhi; demands life-long ban

He also alleged that Gandhi had entered into the world of unethical conduct and had become a major constituent of the ‘Thuggery Gang to destabilise India from within’. He added that his “relentless and well-choreographed actions, within and outside Parliament, are inimical to our country, a serious aspect of discussion in the entire nook and corner of the country”.

“If I, as a responsible public representative – even with a small zone of influence and a humble background – also fail to bring this to your kind notice, I would not be doing justice to my constitutional duty of upholding the unity, integrity and sovereignty of our country. In view of this, I wish to bring to your kind notice the following four serious misdemeanours,” he said in his notice.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Dubey said he demanded the cancellation of Rahul Gandhi’s membership. “He should be debarred from contesting the election for life time,” Dubey said.

Dubey also clarified that he has not moved a privilege motion against Gandhi, but given notice for a substantive motion.

Government sources said there is no decision on moving a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi, but it will seek the removal of more words and lines from the speech that Gandhi has not authenticated so far, from the records.

Over the reference to Union Minister Hardeep Puri, the source said that the minister himself will reply.

What Congress said

However, the Congress said it was a “self-defence strategy” of the BJP against the “facts laid before the nation about the government” by Gandhi.

Congress leader K C Venugopal told The Indian Express, “The country has seen it and is convinced. If there was any response to that, it should have been a reply from the government. What Nishikant Dubey is doing is diverting attention, and it’s the self-defence for the BJP.”

In the past, the Opposition has rarely used the substantive motion in Lok Sabha. In March 1997, then-Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma admitted a substantive motion moved by the Opposition BJP regarding the political situation in Uttar Pradesh and the role of then-Governor Romesh Bhandari. The motion was to recall the Governor.

The motion entails a debate followed by a compulsory vote if the notice is accepted and the motion is moved.

Alleging that the government has sold itself, Gandhi, while participating in the Budget discussion Wednesday, claimed that India had “buckled on tariffs, handed over our data, given up control over digital trade rules”. “(There is) no data localisation, (there is) free data flow to the US, no source code disclosure, and a 20-year tax holiday. The most valuable asset of ours has been handed over,” he added.