‘No transgression’: Rajya Sabha chairman Dhankhar rejects privilege motion against Am
‘No transgression’: Rajya Sabha chairman Dhankhar rejects privilege motion against Amit Shah over PMNRF remarks
M.U.H
27/03/202573
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected a privilege notice against Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday after the minister cited a 1948 government press release to authenticate his statement. Shah had asserted that a Congress leader was part of the management of the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
In his ruling on Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh’s breach of privilege notice, Dhankhar stated that Shah had not committed any “transgression” and that his statements were in “absolute adherence to truth.” He criticised the invocation of privilege as a hasty attempt to gain media traction and tasked the House Ethics Committee with formulating fresh guidelines on MPs’ conduct.
What is the controversy?
Ramesh had moved the notice against Shah for allegedly “casting aspersions” on Congress Parliamentary Party head Sonia Gandhi during a debate on the Disaster Management Bill, 2024, in the Rajya Sabha. Dhankhar noted that Shah had authenticated his statement by presenting a January 24, 1948 press release from the government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB). The document detailed the formation of the PMNRF under then-Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, which included the President of the Indian National Congress as part of its management.
Ramesh alleges defamation
In his letter, Ramesh claimed that Shah, without naming Sonia Gandhi, had impliedly referred to her and imputed motives to malign her reputation. He described Shah’s remarks as “blatantly false and defamatory.” Shah had previously stated that during Congress rule, “one family used to control the country,” further alleging Congress’ involvement in the PMNRF.
Dhankhar emphasised the seriousness of breach of privilege matters, expressing anguish over the rush to media for traction. He referenced the 1998 Ethics Committee report under SB Chauhan, which stressed upholding Parliament’s dignity and personal credibility. He tasked the Ethics Committee to review evolving circumstances, particularly technological and social media developments, and draft fresh guidelines for MPs’ conduct.
