A heated altercation broke out in the Rajasthan Assembly on Friday after state social justice and empowerment minister Avinash Gehlot made a remark about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, leading to the suspension of six Congress MLAs for the rest of the budget session.
During the Question Hour, Gehlot stated, “In the 2023-24 budget as well, like always, you named the scheme (for working women’s hostels) after your ‘dadi’ (grandmother) Indira Gandhi,” prompting outrage from the opposition. Congress MLAs stormed into the well of the House, demanding an apology and the removal of what they deemed an “inappropriate” remark from the record.
Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully and Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara strongly objected, with the latter insisting the statement be expunged. As tensions escalated, marshals were called in to manage the protest.
House Adjourned Multiple Times Amid Uproar
The disruption forced the House to be adjourned three times, as Congress members continued their protest. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel defended the minister, arguing that ‘dadi’ was not an unparliamentary word. However, as Congress MLAs persisted in their sloganeering, Speaker Vasudev Devnani adjourned the House first for 30 minutes, then until 2 PM, and finally until 4 PM.
When proceedings resumed, government chief whip Jogeshwar Garg accused the opposition of crossing all limits, particularly by moving toward the Speaker’s chair. Citing their conduct as “indecent and condemnable,” he proposed the suspension of six MLAs—Govind Singh Dotasara, Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Jakir Hussain, Hakim Ali, and Sanjay Kumar—for the remainder of the budget session. The House passed the motion by voice vote before being adjourned until February 24.
Congress MLAs Stage Protest
Following their suspension, Congress legislators staged a dharna inside the House. Jully denounced the minister’s remark as “shameless” and “indecent,” while Dotasara insisted Rajasthan would not tolerate an insult to Indira Gandhi.
Defending the minister, Patel asserted that using familial terms like ‘dada’ and ‘dadi’ was respectful and should not be considered unparliamentary. “Mahatma Gandhi is called ‘dada.’ If Indira Gandhi is referred to as ‘dadi,’ I personally believe it is a respectful term,” he argued.
