THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, March 27: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday dismissed Congress MP Jairam Ramesh’s privilege motion against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that there was “no transgression and absolute adherence to truth.”
He expressed disappointment over the frequent use of privilege motions to target individuals and reiterated that the House would not serve as a platform to damage reputations.
The privilege notice was filed in response to Amit Shah’s remarks during a debate on the Disaster Management Bill, 2024, where he alleged that the Congress President had control over the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund during the party’s rule. Although Shah did not explicitly name Sonia Gandhi, the Congress argued that his statement was a direct insinuation against her.
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“The PM relief fund was made during the Congress regime, and during this government tenure, the PM Cares fund was started. During the Congress regime only one family had control and the Congress president was the member of this. The Congress President a part of a Government fund, what reply will they give to the people of this country. Does not anyone read or see this?,” Amit Shah had said.
Jairam Ramesh accused the Home Minister of making false and defamatory claims with the intent to malign Sonia Gandhi’s reputation, terming it a breach of privilege under Rule 188 of the Rajya Sabha’s procedural rules.
However, Dhankhar, citing a 1948 Press Information Bureau document, asserted that the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund was managed by the Prime Minister, the Congress President, the Deputy Prime Minister, and other members, confirming historical accuracy in Shah’s statement.
Dismissing the motion, Dhankhar emphasized that the House should not be used to create media narratives or tarnish images, adding that he declined the request with “a deep sense of anguish and pain.”
