Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government will move a privilege notice against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for allegedly making baseless and misleading statements in the Lok Sabha during the Budget discussion. Rijiju said Gandhi made serious allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri without prior notice or substantiation, calling it a breach of parliamentary rules.
During his speech, Gandhi criticised the government’s trade engagement with the US, alleging that India had compromised its sovereignty, energy security, farmers’ interests, digital data rules, and tariff position. He said an INDIA alliance government would have negotiated as an equal and not accepted US conditions, including restrictions related to Russian oil purchases. He also raised concerns over data localisation, digital trade provisions, and increased US imports.
Gandhi further alleged that external pressures, including a US bribery case involving the Adani Group and references to the Epstein files, had weakened the Prime Minister’s position. He claimed no Indian PM would have agreed to such a deal without being under pressure.
Rijiju rejected the allegations, stating that Gandhi failed to make a substantive contribution to the Budget debate and that the government would seek appropriate action through the Speaker. The exchange drew parallels to similar sovereignty-related criticisms made during the India-US nuclear deal debates in 2007-08.