Will file privilege notice against Rahul Gandhi, says Minister Rijiju
This story was originally published at 17:01 IST on 11 February 2026
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NEW DELHI – Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Wednesday said the government will file a privilege notice against Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for "making baseless statements" in the Lok Sabha pertaining to the US trade deal and Epstein files.
"Rahul Gandhi has made useless and false allegations against the government, and against the prime minister, saying that the prime minister has sold India and Indian interests. On what basis?" Rijiju said in a statement.
He added that Gandhi also made a serious allegation against Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri "without giving any notice". "There are very clear-cut rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Lok Sabha. When a member intends to make serious charges against another member, then you have to give notice and also substantiate the allegation. I have requested that Rahul Gandhi be called to the floor of the House to authenticate the points he has made," Rijiju said.
Speaking during a discussion on the Budget in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was under a "chokehold" and had "sold the nation" in the recent trade deal with the US. "I don't believe any Indian prime minister, including Mr Narendra Modi, would sign this deal, unless there was a chokehold. We have buckled on tariff, we have handed out our data, given 20-year tax holiday...there is no logic here, this is total surrender," Gandhi said.
He also raised the issue of Epstein files, in which the name of Hardeep Singh Puri and a prominent Indian businessman are mentioned.
"We are going to file a privilege notice against Rahul Gandhi for misleading the House and also making baseless statements," Rijiju said. End
Reported by Asim Khan
Edited by Tanima Banerjee
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