A book for a book: Nishikant Dubey's excerpts on Gandhis spark Priyanka's counter

The battle lines are now drawn. After Rahul Gandhi claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was compromised while attempting to cite from an unpublished book, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday hit back at the Congress, displaying a series of books which he said detailed decades of deception, betrayal, and corruption of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

The battle over books spilt onto the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, with controversial citations -- both published and unpublished -- triggering repeated disruptions, as the Opposition accused the Narendra Modi government of double standards after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey read out from controversial books like Edwina and Nehru targeting the Nehru-Gandhi family, even as Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was stopped from speaking.

Calling the functioning of Parliament heavily tilted in favour of the Narendra Modi government, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi hit out at Dubey after he cited excerpts from several books to read out damning passages accusing the Gandhi family -- including India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi -- of “aiyyashi, makkari and bhrashtachar” (debauchery, trickery, and corruption).

Speaking outside Parliament, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The Modi government wants to show that only it runs Parliament. This is an insult to the office of the Speaker, Parliament, democracy, and the people of the country."

Moments after the House reassembled at 2 pm, Dubey rose to speak, saying that since Rahul Gandhi had read out lines from an unpublished book, it was now his turn to expose the Gandhi family. As he spoke, Dubey brought out a series of books during his address.

As the BJP MP continued reading from the books on the Gandhi family, the Lok Sabha Speaker intervened.

Citing Rule 349, which bars members from reading out from any book, newspaper, or letter except in connection with the business of the House, the Speaker said he could not allow it, as a ruling had already been given on the matter when Rahul Gandhi stood up in the Lok Sabha with former Army chief General Naravane’s unpublished memoir over the past two days.