Congress’ Shaktisinh Gohil files breach of privilege notice against Piyush Goyal

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

Opposition Party leaders Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, and others talk to media during Budget Session, at Parliament House complex in New Delhi, on Feb. 13, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI

Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil on Tuesday filed a breach of privilege notice against Piyush Goyal, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, for allegedly violating the rules and established procedures by making allegations against a Lok Sabha member.

In his notice to the Rajya Sabha Chairman under Rule 188, Mr. Gohil said Mr. Goyal violated Rule 238, which clearly states that "no allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature shall be made by a member against any other member or a member of the House".

As the Upper House resumed for the afternoon session on Monday after being adjourned earlier, Mr. Goyal said he had raised a serious matter in the morning regarding a senior Congress leader going abroad and stating that "democracy is in danger" in India and even sought the U.S. and Europe to interfere in the country's affairs.

In his notice, Mr. Gohil said on March 13, Mr. Goyal raised the matter regarding some observations made by the "Member of the other House…".

The Congress leader argued that it is a time-honoured tradition that reference is not made in one House about a Member of the other House.

"It is pertinent to note that Shri Piyush Goyal repeatedly spoke about (an) hon'ble Member of the Lok Sabha and kept on stating facts which were not true. Mr. Goyal criticized a Member of the Lok Sabha without truth and was intentionally going on with derogatory remarks," Mr. Gohil said in his notice.

The Congress member cited several examples when the chair ruled in the past that no member can raise allegations against a member of the other House.

Mr. Gohil argued that there have been cases in the Rajya Sabha when cognizance was also taken of general statements made against a Member of Parliament in their absence.

"No opposition member has ever raised a