Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday submitted a privilege notice against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his alleged insulting remarks against B R Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha on December 17, 2024. In his notice submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Kharge alleged that the remarks made by Shah were an insult to the architect of the Constitution and amounted to the breach of privilege and contempt of the House.
"I hereby give a notice of question of privilege against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs under Rule 188 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha)," the notice read. Kharge said on December 17, Shah during his reply in the Rajya Sabha on the discussion on 'Glorious journey of 75 years of the Constitution of India', had referred to Ambedkar which was ‘insulting and defamatory’.
"It is well established that any misconduct in the presence of the House or casting reflections and making defamatory statements constitute a breach of privilege and contempt of the House," Kharge noted.
The Congress president claimed that the wording as well as the tone and tenor of the remarks made by Shah were ‘clearly satirical and made in bad taste’. "To use the name of Dr BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of Constitution of India, is a clear-cut insult to Dr Ambedkar. Their remarks which have been made on the floor of the House are outright derogatory in nature and affront to Dr Ambedkar," he claimed in his notice.
Noting that such a conduct by the home minister is tantamount to breach of privilege and contempt of the house, Kharge said, "In view of the foregoing I request that privilege proceedings may be initiated against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs."
A copy of the privilege notice was shared by Congress from its official handle on X.
(With inputs from PTI)
