If you want to hang us, we're ready: Venugopal on notice to cancel Rahul's LS membership

Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal on Thursday criticised the move to initiate a “substantive motion” against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and alleged that Opposition members were not getting “justice from the Chair” in the Lok Sabha.

His remarks came after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said he had submitted a notice seeking action against Gandhi, demanding cancellation of his Lok Sabha membership and a lifetime bar on contesting elections over certain remarks made during the debate on the Union Budget.

“We are not bothered about any motions and if you want to hang us, we are ready for that also,” Venugopal said, reacting to the notice and the expunging of Gandhi’s remarks from the parliamentary record.

Congress alleges bias in proceedings

Venugopal said questions had been raised about why the Congress adopted an “extreme position” by submitting a notice for removal of the Lok Sabha Speaker earlier, asserting that the Opposition had not been getting a fair hearing.

“The answer is that we have not been getting justice from the Chair,” he said, alleging that the government was pressuring the presiding officers and limiting Opposition voices in the House.

He questioned the expunction of Gandhi’s remarks, claiming that statements made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on similar issues remained part of the official record.

“The government has double standards. This Parliament is running for the government, not for the Opposition,” he said.

BJP MP’s notice against Rahul Gandhi

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Nishikant Dubey said his notice cited Gandhi’s alleged links with foreign organisations and accused him of “colluding with anti-India elements” during visits abroad. Dubey claimed the Congress leader’s actions warranted strict parliamentary action, including cancellation of his membership.

The controversy stems from Gandhi’s speech during the Lok Sabha debate on the Union Budget, parts of which were later expunged from official records.

Referring to Gandhi’s earlier disqualification from Parliament, Venugopal said the Congress was not intimidated by such moves. “Which privilege has Rahul Gandhi broken? They removed his membership last time… what happened afterwards was that people ensured his victory with more votes compared to that of Modi ji,” he said.

The exchange marks the latest escalation in tensions between the treasury benches and the Opposition during the ongoing budget session, with both sides trading allegations over parliamentary conduct and political rhetoric.