'Bete Ko Set Aur Damaad Ko...': BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's Jibe At Sonia Gandhi Triggers Row In Lok Sabha

No Trust Debate In Lok Sabha: The Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met Speaker Om Birla on the issue of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's remarks not being expunged from the records.

New Delhi: The ongoing debate on the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in Lok Sabha witnessed some disruptions on Tuesday after BJP Nishikant Dubey accused Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi of having links with China. “I respect Sonia Gandhi but she has two tasks – Bete ko set karna hai and damaad ko bhet karna (to settle her son and give gifts to her son-in-law),” said BJP MP Nishikant Dubey while replying to the no-confidence motion debate.

#WATCH | BJP MP Nishikant Dubey says, "This No Confidence Motion has been brought. Why has this been brought? Sonia ji (Gandhi) is sitting here...I think she has to do two things - Bete ko set karna hai aur Damad ko bhent karna hai...That is the base of this Motion." pic.twitter.com/Gb40E2gfzu — ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2023

While the ruling party MPs burst into laughter, the Opposition members raised anti-government slogans and urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to expunge his remarks. The Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met Speaker Om Birla on the issue of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's remarks not being expunged from the records.

Sources said Chowdhury met the Speaker along with Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, Manickam Tagore and K Suresh. The matter was also discussed by leaders of INDIA opposition bloc. Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned over the issue in the morning after Opposition members strongly protested against an expunged portion of Monday's debate being re-recorded.

When the House met, Chowdhury raised the issue of the expunged portion of the comments made by Dubey being re-recorded. Speaking in Lok Sabha on Monday, Dubey had raised the issue of a news report in the New York Times which claimed that web portal NewsClick has received Rs 38 crore in funding and the money has been used to create an anti-India environment.

Dubey alleged that NewsClick is a member of the anti-India 'Tukde Tukde' gang, and demanded that the Government investigate the beneficiaries of the funding. "... Between 2005 and 2014, Chinese Government has paid money to Congress .... Congress wants to divide India ...," Dubey alleged, amid opposition uproar.

Congress Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore submitted a privilege notice against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for making allegations, which were “absolute fabrication”, against top party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

In a letter to Speaker Om Birla on Monday, Tagore said that he said he was surprised to see that the temple of democracy is “relegated to a space for raising such unsubstantiated and baseless lies”. Invoking Rules 352 and 353, he demanded action against Dubey for bringing “disrepute to responsible MPs.

Later, a mail issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat said that some portions of Dubey's speech were expunged from the records. However, late in the evening, some parts of these expunged portions were uploaded on the Lok Sabha website. Officials told journalists that whatever was uploaded on the website was final. 

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday alleged that China, the NewsClick website and the Congress are linked to an "anti-India umbilical cord", as the BJP leader cited The New York Times report on the funding of the news portal.