Cong asks Birla to expunge Piyush Goyal's 'defamatory' remarks against its leadership

New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expunge remarks made by Union minister Piyush Goyal, who accused the opposition party's leadership of having links with Soros-backed outfits, asserting that the comments were "defamatory and undignified".

The opposition party also asked Birla to review the very process of allowing members to raise matters under Zero Hour, citing that BJP's Nishikant Dubey has been raising matters continuously for four to five days in a row.

In a letter to Birla, Congress whip Manickam Tagore said, "I am writing this to bring to your kind notice certain grave derogatory remarks made by Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry on December 11, 2024." Goyal accused the Congress leadership of having links with Soros-backed outfits that were allegedly working to destabilise India.

Tagore said Goyal's remarks have been "defamatory and undignified" and, therefore, warranted these being expunged from the proceedings of the House.

"It is very intriguing as to how come these remarks of Shri Goyal have not been expunged. It is, therefore, requested that the said remarks be immediately expunged from the proceedings of Lok Sabha debates," Tagore said in his letter to Birla.

Congress whip Mohammad Javed also wrote to Birla in the context of matters under Zero Hour being raised in the Lok Sabha.

"The procedure for raising matters of Urgent Public Importance during Zero Hour does indeed provide members from all sections of the House to raise topical issues at a short notice. In this context, there needs to be a level playing field in as much as provision of opportunity to all members and ensuring that this procedural device is not confine to the advantage of some particular member or members," he said.

"It has been seen that Nishikant Dubey has been raising matters under Zero Hour continuously for four to five days in a row. In view of the foregoing, it is felt that there is an urgent need for reviewing the very process of allowing members to raise matters under Zero Hour," the Congress MP said.

During Zero Hour on Thursday, Dubey raised the issue of alleged connections between Congress leaders and George Soros-backed outfits that were purportedly working on an agenda to destabilise India. PTI ASK ASK KVK KVK