The Indian National Congress recently raised the heat in the Lok Sabha by serving a privilege notice against Home Minister, Amit Shah. The notice, initiated by the Congress MP and party’s whip Manickam Tagore, accused Shah of fabricating claims about the current state of Maharashtra farm widow, Kalawati Bandurkar, who Rahul Gandhi met in 2008.
“I submitted a privilege motion against Sh Amit Shah for misleading the Parliament yesterday on Smt Kalawati story to Hon’ble Speaker”, announced Mr. Tagore on his social media page. Mr Tagore attacked Mr Shah’s statement, which highlighted the central government’s supposed contributions to Ms Kalawati’s life, terming it as misrepresentation.
In 2008, Rahul Gandhi met Ms Bandurkar, whose husband had committed suicide due to a severe farm crisis in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha. Amit Shah, in a recent session, made a reference to this incident while discussing the unsuccessful launches of Rahul Gandhi’s political career. He claimed that the Modi government effectively supported Ms Kalawati and helped her reap benefits from multiple government schemes.
Congress presented a video of Ms. Kalawati, rejecting Shah’s claim and expressing gratitude towards Rahul Gandhi’s help instead. Thus, a rift between Shah’s statement and Ms. Kalawati’s version was brought to the fore, putting Amit Shah’s credibility in jeopardy.
According to Mr. Tagore’s notice, Mr. Shah failed to uphold the parliamentary privilege of presenting accurate and truthful information to the House. He stated, “This discrepancy raises serious doubts about the veracity of the information presented in the Lok Sabha, and it highlights a potential breach of privilege under Rule 22, Chapter 20 of the Lok Sabha Rules”
Seeking Accountability and Apology
Mr. Tagore pleaded with the Speaker to recognize this significant matter and initiate appropriate action. He urged, “Therefore, I request you to exercise your esteemed authority to move a breach of privilege motion against the Hon’ble Union Minister for his statement which appears to be in direct contradiction to the ground reality and direct him to seek an apology from the House of People for his wrong and irresponsible statement yesterday.”
Indeed, the privileged motion should be initiated if it is found to have violated Rule 22, Chapter 20 of the Lok Sabha Rules. It is crucial to maintain the integrity and trust of the parliamentary system. As the dust of allegations settles, it is much anticipated how the Lok Sabha handles the matter and what its implications will be on the image of Home Minister Amit Shah.
An explosive situation like this has once again stirred the political pot in the Indian Parliament. The ensuing consequences of the privilege notice could change the power dynamic in the Lok Sabha. The truth behind the allegations against Amit Shah lies veiled, awaiting the Lok Sabha’s unfurling.
