Rahul Gandhi submits detailed reply to LS Secretariat over notices moved by BJP members

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has submitted a detailed reply to the Lok Sabha Secretariat on the notices moved by BJP members regarding his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House, sources said on Wednesday.

Gandhi had made the remarks against Modi on February 7 during a discussion on the 'Motion of Thanks on the President's Address'.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat in a letter to Gandhi, dated February 10, had asked him to furnish his reply on breach of privilege notices against him by BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Pralhad Joshi - also the parliamentary affairs minister - by February 15 for the Lok Sabha speaker's consideration.

The BJP MPs had moved the notices on Gandhi's February 7 speech in which he commented on the Hindenburg-Adani issue.

The sources said Gandhi has given a detailed reply running into several pages citing various laws and precedence, justifying his remarks made in Lok Sabha.

On Monday, addressing a gathering in Wayanad, his Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhi had criticised the decision to expunge several remarks from his speech made during the discussion in the House.

He had also said that he has "written to the speaker with every single point they have removed and supporting proof", adding that in his speech in the Lower House of Parliament, he did not use any bad or abusive language.

Both the BJP leaders in their notices to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have alleged that Gandhi's comments were baseless and that he made "contemptuous, unparliamentary and dishonourable" allegations. Several remarks made by Gandhi were expunged by the speaker following his speech.