5 days Ago By TOI News Desk
Jagdeep Dhankhar and Jairam Ramesh (R) NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday dismissed a breach of privilege notice filed by Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh against Union home minister Amit Shah. While observing it as bid to ruin Shah's reputation. The notice accused Shah of making remarks that allegedly cast aspersions on Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi during a debate on the Disaster Management Bill, 2024.
Ramesh, in his notice to the Chairman, stated that Shah, while replying to the debate on March 25, implied that the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) was controlled by one family during Congress rule. Addressing the Rajya Sabha on the matter, Dhankhar said, "On March 26, 2025, I received a communication, Notice of Question of Privilege, against Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs, from Jairam Ramesh. While appending his signature, Jairam has signed as 26th of May.
.. Jairam Ramesh has in particular indicated that on 25th March 2025, Amit Shah, while replying to the debate on the Disaster Management Bill 2024 , had inter alia stated as follows: 'The Prime Minister's National Relief Fund was formed during the Congress rule and PM CARES was formed during the rule of Narendra Modi ji, during the NDA rule.
During the Congress rule, it was controlled by one family only. The Congress President was a member of it. What answer will the Congress President give to the people of the country regarding government funds? They believe that no one reads or watches this.
'" Dhankhar mentioned that Shah had submitted a Press Release from January 24, 1948, issued by the Centre, verifying his remarks. Based on this, the chairman ruled that there was no breach of privilege. "I find there has been no transgression.
There has been absolute adherence to truth, which is vindicated by a document that is available to the Hon'ble Members. That being the situation, I cannot persuade myself to accord any acceptance to this Notice of Question of Privilege against Amit Shah," he said. The Rajya Sabha chairman further stressed the seriousness of privilege motions and expressed concern over their misuse.
"I have declined with a deep sense of anguish and pain that we rushed to invoke breach of privilege...
This House will not be a platform to ruin reputations of people," Dhankhar said. He also referred to the S B Chauhan report on ethics, emphasisng that parliamentarians must uphold dignity and credibility. Dhankhar directed the Ethics Committee, led by Ghanshyam Tiwari, to review the report and draft updated guidelines for parliamentary conduct.
Meanwhile, Ramesh reiterated his stance, asserting that Shah had indirectly referred to Sonia Gandhi and imputed motives regarding the PMNRF. "It is well established that it is breach of privilege and contempt of the House to cast reflections or make derogatory references to any member of the House," Ramesh stated. He accused the home minister of making "unfounded allegations with a premeditated motive to malign her reputation," and called for privilege proceedings against Shah.
Despite the Congress leader’s objections, Dhankhar’s decision effectively closes the matter, with the Ethics Committee now set to review broader issues of parliamentary conduct. Stay updated with the latest India news , weather , and Air Quality Index (AQI) updates for major cities like Delhi , Mumbai , Noida , and Bangalore on Times of India ..
