NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that the Congress was telling “lies” on National Population Register (NPR) during his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Rajya Sabha was removed from Parliamentary records as it was found unparliamentary.
“(Rajya Sabha) Chairman (M Venkaiah Naidu) was pleased to direct expunction of a certain portion of the proceedings of Rajya Sabha dated February 6, 2020, at about 6.20 PM and 6.30 PM,” a statement said. Remarks of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, who said that the Centre was “gumrah (misleading)” people for votes on Citizenship Amendment Act was also expunged.
Replying to the objections raised by the Opposition about NPR, Modi said the UPA government had come up with NPR in 2010 and collected photos and biometric data but the BJP never persecuted anyone based on the data. “Aap kyon jhoot bol rahe hei (why are you lying) for votes,” he said. Chairman has expunged “jhoot” from PM’s remarks and “gumrah” from Azad’s statement. This is the second time that PM’s remarks were expunged. Naidu on August 10, 2018, had expunged remarks made by Modi against Congress MP B K Hariprasad, the Opposition joint candidate for the Deputy Chairman elections, after finding it unparliamentarily.