Oppn parties move privilege notice against Goyal over remarks against them

Several leaders of the opposition alliance INDIA have given a privilege notice against leader of the house in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal over his certain remarks against some opposition leaders.

Among the parties whose leaders gave the notice are the Congress, TMC, AAP, RJD, DMK, RJD, JDU, NCP and the Left parties.

Sources said leaders of INDIA parties gave the notice to the Rajya Sabha chairman complaining against Goyal's certain remarks made while he was speaking on the issue of media portal 'NewsClick' receiving funding from China-linked firms allegedly to spread Chinese propaganda.

Goyal questioned the relationship between the opposition parties and the news portal 'NewsClick', now accused by the New York Times of receiving funding from China-linked firms.

"Today at 1300 hrs, the floor leaders of INDIA parties in the Rajya Sabha submitted a privilege motion against Leader of the House Piyush Goyal for addressing the Opposition as all of them 'traitors'," Ramesh said on Twitter.

"Nothing less than an apology from him on the floor of the House, when it is in order, will do," the Congress leader, who is a signatory to the privilege notice, said.

The leaders also raised an uproar in the House and demanded an apology from Goyal.

Later in the House, however, Goyal said he takes back any words which may not be parliamentary and urged the chair to remove the same from the records.

The chairman said he will go through the records and if there is anything unparliamentary, that cannot remain as part of the records of the House. He said he would remove if there is anything which is unparliamentary.