‘Bring a privilege motion, I will fight for farmers,’ says Rahul Gandhi as BJP seeks to cancel his LS membership
Stepping up his attack on the Modi government, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he would not be deterred by any FIR, criminal case or privilege motion and asserted that he would continue to fight for farmers’ rights.
In a video post on X, Gandhi reiterated his opposition to the India US trade deal, claiming it would severely impact Indian farmers. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “opened the doors” of India’s agriculture market to foreign players at the cost of domestic producers.
“I have spoken the truth in Parliament. If you do not like the truth, that is a different matter. The country understands the truth. Do whatever you want to do. Let an FIR be filed, let a case be registered or bring a privilege motion. I and the entire party stand with farmers,” Gandhi said.
He said any trade agreement that threatens farmers’ livelihoods or weakens the country’s food security is anti farmer. Gandhi also claimed that corn, soybean, cotton and fruit growers would be the first to suffer, alleging that the government would eventually open the entire farm sector to foreign interests and corporate allies.
Gandhi’s remarks came after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said on Thursday that he had submitted a substantive motion seeking the cancellation of Gandhi’s membership of Parliament and a lifetime ban on contesting elections. Dubey alleged in his notice that Gandhi had colluded with anti India elements and foreign organisations during his overseas visits.
Dubey clarified that no privilege motion has been moved in the matter.
"It is a widely acclaimed fact that neither any citizen of our country nor any public representative/ high officials does anything which lowers the dignity of our Armed Forces. There is, thus, a tacit understanding amongst all the Members of Parliament, irrespective of Party affiliations, not to drag the Armed Forces and/ or its functionaries for scoring transient political mileage. However, these ethical mores are not applicable to Shri Rahul Gandhi which is evident from his speech delivered in Lok Sabha on 11 February, 2026, wherein he has cunningly dragged the name of former Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Mukund Naravane...," Dubey said.
He said that the "need of the hour is to conduct an urgent, structured inquiry to examine all his "unethical conduct" in the capacity of being a Member of Parliament and the Leader of Opposition with a view to ensuring his immediate expulsion from Lok Sabha."
The development follows Gandhi’s sharp attack on the Union government on Wednesday over the India US interim trade deal, in which he accused Prime Minister Modi of having “sold the nation” by undermining farmers’ interests, hurting the textile sector and compromising India’s energy security. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had earlier said the government would move a privilege motion against Gandhi for allegedly misleading the House, though sources later said the government was unlikely to proceed with it.
Gandhi further alleged that American farmers, operating large mechanised farms with heavy subsidies, would outcompete Indian farmers, most of whom have small landholdings and struggle to secure a remunerative Minimum Support Price.
However, former Lok Sabha Secretary General P.D.T. Achary has questioned the procedural basis of the move, noting that Dubey has not cited the specific rule under which the motion was submitted. Achary said that if a Member of Parliament is alleged to have committed contempt of the House, the correct procedure is to submit a notice of contempt, which is then examined by the Privileges Committee, according to a PTI report.
Achary also clarified that while the House has the power to expel a member, it does not have the authority to disqualify an MP. Disqualification, he said, can take place only under the Anti-Defection Law or the Representation of the People Act.
The admissibility of the motion will be examined under parliamentary procedures before any further action is taken.
(With inputs from PTI)