Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting that derogatory comments made against him in the House be expunged. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Gandhi emphasized the importance of maintaining the dignity of Parliament while ensuring that discussions continue without obstruction.
“I held a meeting with the Speaker. I told him that derogatory comments against me should be expunged. The Speaker said that he would look into it… Our aim is that the House must run and discussion should happen in the House. No matter what they say about me, we want to have a debate on 13th December… They don’t want a discussion on Adani. In the end, we will not leave this. They will keep levelling allegations on us but the House must function,” Rahul Gandhi stated.
The comments in question stemmed from remarks made by BJP Lok Sabha MPs Nishikant Dubey and Sambit Patra earlier this month. On December 5, during a debate in the House, Dubey alleged a connection between Rahul Gandhi and Hungarian-American financier George Soros, as well as the global investigative news network OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project). He claimed, “Congress ka haath, Soros ke saath. Congress has relations with OCCRP, which gets all its funds from the US government and George Soros. Did Rahul Gandhi take money from George Soros for the Bharat Jodo Yatra?”
This statement triggered a high-voltage drama as Congress MPs stormed the Well of the House in protest, demanding an explanation. The ensuing chaos led to the adjournment of the session, with Congress members also seeking clarification on the status of their breach of privilege notices against Dubey and Patra.
In response to the controversy, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also defended her brother outside Parliament. She responded to Patra’s accusation of Rahul Gandhi being a ‘traitor,’ stating, “Those who can call Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi traitors, have no qualms about calling Rahul Gandhi one. There is nothing new in this. I am proud of my brother, and for him, nothing is above this country.”
The situation continues to stir political debate as both Congress and BJP remain at odds over the allegations, with the Speaker’s decision on the expunging of remarks yet to be made.