Chaos in Rajasthan assembly: Six congress MLAs suspended over Indira Gandhi 'Dadi' remark

Rajasthan: A massive uproar erupted in the Rajasthan Assembly on Friday after a remark by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot on former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The controversy led to the suspension of six Congress MLAs for the remainder of the budget session. During the Question Hour, Gehlot remarked, “In the 2023-24 budget also, like always, you named the scheme (on working women's hostels) after your 'dadi' (grandmother) Indira Gandhi,” as quoted by PTI. The comment triggered a furious response from Congress legislators, who stormed into the well of the House, raising slogans and demanding an apology.

Congress demands apology, house adjourned multiple times

Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully demanded that the "inappropriate word" be removed from the record. Congress state chief Govind Singh Dotasara also urged the Speaker to expunge the statement and insisted on an apology from the minister. The situation escalated when Dotasara attempted to approach the Speaker, prompting marshals to intervene. The House was adjourned thrice due to the ongoing ruckus—first for 30 minutes, then till 2 PM, and later until 4 PM as Congress MLAs continued their protests.

Suspension of six congress MLAs

When the House reconvened at 4 PM, government chief whip Jogeshwar Garg condemned the opposition’s behavior, stating that the manner in which they moved toward the Speaker was "condemnable and not a pardonable crime." Following this, the assembly passed a motion to suspend six Congress legislators—Govind Singh Dotasara, Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Jakir Hussain, Hakim Ali, and Sanjay Kumar—for the rest of the budget session. Speaker Vasudev Devnani then adjourned the House until February 24 at 11 AM.

Congress leaders react, BJP defends minister

Following the suspension, Congress MLAs staged a sit-in protest inside the well of the House. Jully called Gehlot’s remarks “shameless” and “indecent,” while Dotasara declared on X (formerly Twitter), “Rajasthan will not tolerate the insult of Indira ji.” On the other hand, BJP leaders defended the minister, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel arguing that terms like ‘dada’ (grandfather) and ‘dadi’ (grandmother) are not unparliamentary. He further stated, “Mahatma Gandhi is called 'dada'. If former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is called 'dadi', I personally believe it is not an insult but a mark of respect.”