Substantive motion filed against Rahul Gandhi. What it means
India Today
In his substantive motion notice, BJP's Nishikant Dubey has sought the cancellation of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership and a ban on him contesting elections for life.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said on Thursday that he has submitted a notice to initiate a "substantive motion" against Rahul Gandhi, demanding the cancellation of his Lok Sabha membership and seeking for him to be banned from contesting polls for life. As a result, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the central government has shelved a plan to bring a privilege motion against the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha for using unparliamentary language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In his notice, Dubey said he mentioned that Rahul Gandhi visits foreign nations such as Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, joining hands with the Soros Foundation, Usaid and Ford Foundation, and "colludes" with anti-India forces. Rijiju said that the Lok Sabha Speaker would be consulted on whether to send Dubey's substantive motion to the House privilege panel, the ethics committee or place it directly before the Lower House.
In the past, several parliamentarians have faced substantive motions, as recently as Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. She was expelled by a House vote on such a motion in the cash-for-query scam in 2023 before she returned to the House by winning the Lok Sabha election from the same seat in Bengal's Krishnanagar in 2024 polls.
A substantive motion is an independent, self-contained, formal proposal moved in the House, drafted to express a decision or opinion, for the approval of a legislative house or assembly. This could be submitted to seek a specific course of action, such as the setting up of a panel to examine allegations or conduct related to a member.
According to parliamentary procedure, the presiding officer has the authority to admit and place such a motion before the House. The notice for moving the motion is submitted to the Secretary General, which is the standard process for all parliamentary notices.If the motion is admitted and subsequently passed by the House, the Lok Sabha Speaker may constitute a committee to investigate the allegations. The committee would be given a defined timeframe to submit its report. Once submitted and tabled in the Lok Sabha, a further motion may be moved for the House to consider and decide on accepting the committee's recommendations.
The Lok Sabha has the power to expel its members for serious misconduct or actions that damage the Parliament's dignity.
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