New Delhi, February 11 Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha was "full of lies," and the ruling alliance will seek to remove the "lies" from the House records.
Shortly after Gandhi's speech during a debate on the Union Budget, Rijiju said that members of the ruling alliance would serve a notice to the chair seeking verification of whatever the leader of the opposition has said.
"We will demand that the lies spoken by Rahul Gandhi be removed," he told reporters here.
Although Gandhi has promised to verify his statements, the minister said, "I know he cannot do that because he lied. He lied in the House."
Rijiju further alleged that Gandhi often deliberately lies and then leaves the House, instead of waiting to hear the minister's response.
He said it was unfortunate that the country does not have a person with the seriousness required for the position of the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
"Our party has decided that we will counter Rahul Gandhi's lies outside, but inside the House, a notice will be issued," he said.
Rijiju said that Gandhi had made a major allegation against Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri without giving any prior notice, which is a serious breach of privilege.
"We will file the necessary notice with the speaker. The leader of the opposition did not make any useful contribution to the budget discussion, but only made some wild allegations," he said.
The minister said he had asked Gandhi to remain in the House when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would be responding to the budget discussion.
"After his speech, he immediately left the House. The rule is that once a member delivers his speech, he cannot immediately leave the House," he said.
Gandhi alleged in the Lok Sabha that the government has "sold Bharat Mata" through the India-US interim trade deal, and that it was a "wholesale surrender" in which India's energy security has been handed over to America and farmers' interests have been compromised.
Rijiju said that no one can sell or buy India, and no one can even think about it.
"In 2011-12, India was considered one of the 'fragile five' countries. Now, we are the fourth largest economy and are poised to become the third largest," he said.
