Congress moves privilege complaint against PM for backing Anurag Thakur amid caste remark row
New Delhi: In a move that could escalate the controversy over BJP leader Anurag Thakur's caste remark against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the main opposition party has submitted a privilege complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising Thakur's speech.
Jalandhar MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi lodged the complaint with the Lok Sabha Secretary General. The row began when Anurag Thakur, a five-time MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, launched a personal attack on Rahul Gandhi during a debate on Budget 2024.
Amidst the uproar over Thakur's remarks, Prime Minister Modi shared a video of the speech on X, calling it a "must hear." He praised Thakur for delivering "a perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the INDI Alliance."
The Congress responded sharply, accusing the Prime Minister of encouraging a "serious breach of parliamentary privilege" by sharing what they termed a "highly abusive and unconstitutional tirade." Senior BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was presiding over the session, assured that Thakur's remarks would be expunged from the record.
However, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pointed out that Sansad TV had uploaded the unedited speech, calling it "a new and shameful low in the annals of India's parliamentary history" and accusing the BJP-RSS and Prime Minister Modi of deep-rooted casteism.
During the heated session, the Leader of the Opposition demanded the opportunity to respond to Thakur's insults. Rahul Gandhi responded to the attack, stating, "You can insult me as much as you want, do it every day. But don't forget that we (the opposition) will get the Bill (on Caste Census) passed here (in Parliament)."
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had also strongly rebuked Anurag Thakur, questioning how he could dare to ask Rahul Gandhi about his caste.
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Karnataka: Four of family killed in roof collapse in Vijayapura amid heavy rain
Vijayapura (Karnataka) (PTI): Four members of a family were killed after the roof of an old rented house collapsed during heavy rain accompanied by strong winds in this district, police said on Friday.
The deceased were identified as Gurunath Badigera (35), his wife Jyoti Badigera (28), and their two children, Kalamma Badigera (13) and Kirti Badigera (9), they said.
The incident occurred at Moratagi village of Alamela taluk in Vijayapura district, police said.
According to police, the family had been staying in the old rented house while repair work was underway at their own residence. The incident occurred on Thursday night when the roof of the house collapsed due to the heavy rain and wind.
All four members of the family were asleep when the roof of the house suddenly collapsed on them, following which they got trapped under the debris and died on the spot, a senior police officer said.
Personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services Department and the police rushed to the spot and undertook rescue operations to retrieve the bodies.
Police said the incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Sindagi Police Station. Senior police officials visited the spot and inspected the area. Further investigation is underway.
