Trinamool Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra on Monday filed a privilege notice against Union Minister Kiren Rijiju for his comments made on December 13. Moitra asked to take the matter to the Privileges Committee. This follows a similar privilege notice earlier filed by her party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh against Rijiju for her comments about opposition members.
Rijiju had said, ‘If such a thing is said, action should be taken. Otherwise a woman like that, any member standing up and speaking like that… they are setting a very wrong example.”
Invoking Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha, Moitra argued that Rijiju’s remarks were personal and insulting to opposition members. His notice was supported by leaders of various opposition parties, including NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule, DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, A Raja, and Dayanidhi Maran, SP’s Dimple Yadav, and Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi and KC Venugopal.
Earlier, Rijiju had also commented that he was an opponent “Unfit to sit in Parliament.”
Sagarika Ghosh criticized Rijiju’s statement and accused him of misusing his position as Parliamentary Affairs Minister. “Such statements show disrespect to the opposition. All opposition members apologize and demand the removal of these comments,“ Ghosh said.
The notices highlight growing tensions in parliament, as opposition leaders push back against what they say is disgraceful and unparliamentary behaviour. Both Moitra and Ghosh insisted that Rijiju’s comments violated parliamentary etiquette and undermined the dignity of the House. The case is now awaiting further action.