Congress Flags Breach of Privilege by Amit Shah Over Alleged Misleading Statement on Farm Widow

New Delhi, August 10, 2023: The Congress party has submitted a notice in the Lok Sabha, accusing Home Minister Amit Shah of breaching privilege by making a misleading statement about Maharashtra farm widow Kalawati Bandurkar. Rahul Gandhi had visited Bandurkar’s house in 2008 after her husband’s suicide due to a farm crisis.

Congress MP and party’s whip in Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, submitted the notice to Speaker Om Birla, stating, “I submitted a privilege motion against Amit Shah for misleading the Parliament yesterday on Smt Kalawati story.”

During the no-confidence motion debate, Shah had referred to Rahul Gandhi’s interactions with Kalawati Bandurkar, claiming Modi government’s assistance to her. However, Congress alleged that the government was misrepresenting the situation and shared a video where Kalawati Bandurkar affirmed that it was Rahul Gandhi who helped her.

Tagore’s notice alleges that Shah breached Parliamentary Privilege by not providing accurate and truthful information in the House. He stated, “This discrepancy between the statement made by the Hon’ble Union Minister and the reality… raises serious doubts about the veracity of the information presented in the Lok Sabha.”

In the notice, Tagore urged Speaker Birla to initiate a breach of privilege motion under Rule 22, Chapter 20 of the Lok Sabha Rules. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the accountability and integrity of the parliamentary system.

The Congress seeks clarification and an apology from Amit Shah for his alleged inaccurate statement. The Speaker’s consideration and appropriate action on this matter are anticipated.