The controversy surrounding BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s caste-related comments about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified after the main Opposition party filed a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for lauding Thakur’s speech.

Charanjit Singh Channi, Jalandhar MP and former Punjab Chief Minister, lodged the complaint with the Lok Sabha secretary general. Channi’s letter highlighted that “certain objectionable remarks” by Thakur had been removed from the House proceedings, yet PM Modi shared these expunged portions on X along with the full speech video.

“In addition to this other objectionable expunged words in the speech had also been tweeted as laid down in Practice and Procedure of Parliament by Kaul & Shakdher,” he said

Amid the uproar over Thakur’s comments, PM Modi posted a video of Thakur’s speech on X, calling it a “must hear.” He praised his “young and energetic colleague” for delivering a speech that combined facts and humour while exposing what he termed the “dirty politics of the INDI Alliance.”

The Congress reacted strongly, accusing the Prime Minister of encouraging a “serious breach of parliamentary privilege” by sharing the speech, which they described as a “highly abusive and unconstitutional tirade.”

Thakur’s remarks had already caused a stir among the Opposition benches, prompting senior Congress MP Jagdambika Pal, who was presiding, to assure that the comments would be expunged. However, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pointed out that Sansad TV had uploaded the unedited speech online despite the expunged comments.

“This is a new and shameful low in the annals of India’s parliamentary history. It reflects the BJP-RSS and Mr. Modi’s deep-rooted casteism,” he alleged.

“Thakur brought parliamentary discourse to a new low by asking a fellow MP and the Leader of Opposition about his caste identity,” Ramesh added.

During the Budget 2024 debate, Thakur, a five-time MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, launched a personal attack on Gandhi, drawing immediate objections from the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition demanded a chance to respond.

Gandhi said that he would not seek any apology from the former Union minister.

“Anurag Thakur insulted me, and I don’t want any apology from him. Abuse or insult me as hard as you can, but don’t forget we will pass the caste census in this Parliament for sure,” the Leader of Opposition said in the House.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also came down heavily on Thakur.

“A socio-economic caste census is the demand of 80 per cent of the people of this country. Today, it was said in Parliament that those whose caste is not known talk about a caste census,” she wrote on X.

Will 80 per cent of India’s population be abused in Parliament now, she asked.

“Narendra Modi should clarify whether this happened at his behest,” she said.