New Delhi, March 27: Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday rejected a privilege notice against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had cited a 1948 government press release to substantiate his statement regarding a Congress leader’s involvement in the management of the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
The notice was moved by Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, who accused Shah of “casting aspersions” on Congress Parliamentary Party head Sonia Gandhi. The controversy stemmed from Shah’s remarks during a debate on the Disaster Management Bill, 2024 in Rajya Sabha on March 25.
According to Dhankhar, Shah, after making the remarks, agreed to authenticate his statement and cited a Press Information Bureau release from January 24, 1998. The release detailed an announcement by then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru about the establishment of the PMNRF, which was to be managed by a committee including the Prime Minister, the president of the Indian National Congress, and other members.
Dhankhar reviewed the matter carefully and concluded that there was no breach of privilege, rejecting the notice against Shah.
