Parliament – Kharge Flags Deletion of Rajya Sabha Remarks
Parliament – Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday raised concerns over the removal of portions of his recent speech from the official parliamentary record, describing the action as unjustified and inconsistent with democratic principles.
Kharge’s remarks relate to his address during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address on February 4. He told the Upper House that after reviewing the video uploaded on the Rajya Sabha website, he discovered that several sections of his speech were no longer part of the published proceedings.
Kharge Questions Deletion of Speech Segments
Addressing the Chair, Kharge said the omitted sections contained his assessment of the government’s functioning in Parliament and criticism of certain policies of the Prime Minister. According to him, these remarks were based on factual references and were made in his capacity as Leader of the Opposition.
He emphasized that holding the government accountable is a constitutional responsibility of the opposition. The removed excerpts, he argued, did not contain language that could be described as defamatory or unparliamentary.
Kharge, who has served in public life for over five decades, stated that throughout his tenure as a legislator and Member of Parliament, he has adhered to parliamentary decorum and respectful language. He urged the Chair to reconsider the decision and restore the deleted portions, maintaining that their removal undermines freedom of speech within the House.
Chairman Rejects Demand for Restoration
Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan responded firmly, stating that once remarks are expunged in accordance with the rules, they cannot be reinstated. He also cautioned against what he described as directing or instructing the Chair, calling such an approach inappropriate.
The Chairman maintained that the authority to remove certain words or passages from the official record rests with the presiding officer under established parliamentary procedures.
Government Cites Rules on Expunging Remarks
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman later addressed the matter, backing the Chair’s decision. She noted that parliamentary rules empower the Chairman to order the deletion of words deemed defamatory, indecent, unparliamentary or undignified.
Quoting the relevant provisions, Sitharaman said the presiding officer may exercise discretion if any remark is considered to fall within these categories. She added that questioning the Chairman’s decision-making authority in such matters raises procedural concerns.
The exchange led to sharp reactions from both treasury and opposition benches, reflecting ongoing tensions over the functioning of Parliament and the scope of debate within the House.
Session Adjourned After Heated Exchange
Following the discussion, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Friday. The Upper House is scheduled to reconvene on March 9 after a three-week recess.
The episode has drawn attention to the balance between maintaining decorum in parliamentary debates and ensuring robust discussion on government policies. While the Chair’s authority to expunge remarks is well established under the rules, opposition leaders have argued that such actions should be exercised with transparency and restraint to preserve the spirit of democratic debate.
As Parliament prepares to resume, the issue is likely to remain a point of discussion among political parties, particularly in the context of broader concerns over parliamentary conduct and accountability.