Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday submitted a privilege notice against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of making defamatory remarks against former Congress President and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi.
In his notice to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Ramesh alleged that the Home Minister had made unfounded accusations against the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party with “a premeditated motive to tarnish her reputation.”
Ramesh referenced Shah’s response during the debate on the Disaster Management Bill, 2024, in the Rajya Sabha on March 25, 2025.
“The Home Minister’s statement is blatantly false and defamatory. This constitutes a breach of privilege against Smt. Sonia Gandhi and amounts to contempt of the House,” the Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha stated.
Citing Shah’s speech, the Congress highlighted his remarks about the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and the PM CARES Fund. Shah had allegedly stated, “The PM relief fund was established during the Congress regime, and under this government, the PM CARES fund was initiated. During the Congress tenure, only one family had control, and the Congress president was a member of it. What answer will they give to the people of this country? Does no one read or see this?”
The Congress argued that these remarks implied wrongdoing on Sonia Gandhi’s part and constituted a breach of privilege under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha).
Ramesh contended that even though Shah did not explicitly name Sonia Gandhi, the statement clearly insinuated her involvement, thereby imputing motives regarding the management of the National Prime Minister’s Relief Fund (NPMRF). He emphasized that making derogatory references or casting reflections on any House member constitutes a breach of privilege and contempt of the House.
Earlier, during the Rajya Sabha session, Sonia Gandhi had raised concerns regarding the lack of fulfillment of maternity entitlements under the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
“The full implementation of maternity benefits requires an annual budget of approximately Rs. 12,000 crore. However, the budget documents do not provide specific information on PMMVY allocations. The allocation for Samarthya in 2025-26 is only Rs. 2,521 crore, showing a severe funding shortfall and a violation of key legal provisions passed by Parliament,” she said.
The political dispute continues as Congress demands accountability for the alleged remarks, while the ruling party maintains its stance on transparency in fund management.
