BJP starts process to cancel Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday said that he has submitted a notice in the Lok Sabha to initiate a substantive motion against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for allegedly “fomenting public sentiments” in Parliament through foreign funding, reported The Indian Express.

A substantive motion is a formal proposal placed before the House for discussion and decision. If admitted by the speaker, it entails a debate followed by a compulsory vote.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Dubey said that he has sought the cancellation of Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership. “He should be debarred from contesting the election for a lifetime,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.

Dubey also said that he had not moved a privilege motion against Gandhi.

A privilege motion is brought when a member believes that the privileges of the House or of its members have been breached. It is examined by the speaker. If admitted, it may be referred to the Committee of Privileges for inquiry.

In his notice, the BJP MP said that Gandhi has engaged with the Soros Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development, and travelled to countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the United States to take part in “anti-India activities”, The Indian Express reported.

Dubey alleged in the notice that Gandhi...

Read more