Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a breach of parliamentary privilege for “falsely” attributing the “Karnataka sovereignty” remark to Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha member and Congress leader Manickam Tagore wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to send the matter to the Privileges Committee of the Parliament.
In his letter to Mr. Birla, the Lok Sabha member from Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), claimed that Mr. Modi had disseminated “sensitive false information” among the public.
“Honorable Prrime Minister as the representative of the BJP party in the Karnataka election has raised false accusations against the Congress against their commitment to protecting the unity and sovereignty of the state of Karnataka if wins the election,” he said in the letter of May 10.
“The remarks of the Prime Minister misrepresent the statement of Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the Congress Party, that the meaning of protecting sovereignty as meant by the Congress is the plan to separate the State from India,” added Mr. Tagore.
Setting wrong precedence
Mr. Tagore said that such a statement from the Prime Minister would set a wrong precedence for the people who acquired high positions in the country, either now or in future.
“In precise, the Prime Minister has informed that Congress indicates that it considers Karnataka separate from India. Therefore, it is pertinent that the Speaker refers the issue to the Committee of Parliamentary Privileges under Rule 222 and allows the same for discussion in the next Lok Sabha session...,” said the Congress MP.
Prime Minister Modi had referred to a puroprted statement by Ms. Gandhi in which she talked of “Karnataka’s sovereignty”, a remark that was tweeted by the Congress party’s official handle but withdrawn later.
“The word ‘sovereignty’ was never used by Sonia Gandhi ji in her speech dated May 6, 2023, at Hubballi, Karnataka. Since this has been erroneously reported— it is being deleted,” the Congress had said after the Election Commission sought an explanation from the party on a complaint by the BJP.
