Action will be taken against Rahul Gandhi this time: Prahlad Joshi

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Prahlad Joshi on Monday said action would be taken this time on the notice sent to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for making an 'unparliamentary remark' about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking to ANI, Joshi said, "(BJP leader) Nishikant Dubey issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi for making baseless allegations (against PM Modi).

What they say has to be supported with evidence but they haven't produced any. We all are answerable to the people of this country. This time action will be taken on this notice."

On February 8, Dubey sent a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, saying that the statements of the Congress MP were misleading, derogatory, indecent, unparliamentary, undignified and incriminatory in nature to the dignity of the House and the Prime Minister.

"Rahul Gandhi, despite making a statement in the House that he would provide documentary evidence has not submitted any duly authenticated document for supporting his statements," he added in his letter.

Dubey said the Congress MP's statement amounts to misleading the House in the absence of any documentary evidence and also casts aspersions of the image of Prime Minister Modi.

"This conduct is in clear violation of privileges of House and its members besides being a clear case of contempt of the House. I request you to take immediate action against Rahul Gandhi for breach of privilege and contempt of House," Dubey's letter read.

On Tuesday, Rahul launched a scathing attack on the government in the wake of the Hiendenberg-Adani row linking the rise of the Adani group to his alleged closeness to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He further alleged that "rules were changed" in some sectors to favour the billionaire industrialist.

Rahul, who was the first Opposition leader to speak during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha, said PM Modi's alleged relationship with Gautam Adani began many years ago when he was Gujarat chief minister, adding that the 'real magic' started after 2014 as the businessman rose from 609th to second spot in the global rich list.

"The relationship began many years ago when Narendra Modi was Gujarat's chief minister...one man stood shoulder to shoulder with PM Modi, he was loyal to the PM and helped Mr Modi construct the idea of a 'Resurgent Gujarat'.

The real magic began when PM Modi reached the national capital in 2014," Rahul said in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP protested against Rahul's allegations both inside and outside the Lower House. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the allegations against the government were baseless and the whole ecosystem of Congress was based on twin pillars "of deal and commission" .