Congress Moves Privilege Motion Against PM Modi For Backing Anurag Thakur's Caste Remark

Congress on Wednesday moved a privilege motion against PM Narendra Modi for endorsing BJP MP Anurag Thakur's 'caste' remark in Parliament, Congress' move came a day after the prime minister backed Union Minister Anurag Thakur's Lok Sabha speech on Tuesday.

Yesterday, Thakur was involved in a heated exchange of words with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha.

"This speech by my young and energetic colleague, Shri @ianuragthakur is a must hear. A perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the INDI Alliance," the Prime Minister said, sharing a video of the five-time MP's address on X.

What did Anurag Thakur say?

Union Minister and BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur took a swipe at Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his recent statements on Mahabharata while speaking during the debate on Budget 2024.

Taking a dig at Gandhi, Thakur retorted some people are "accidental Hindus" and their knowledge of Mahabharata is accidental too. Furthermore, what sparked a bigger row was Thakur's sudden reference to Gandhi's caste while questioning the Opposition's demand for a nationwide caste Census.

Responding to Thakur's personal attack, Rahul Gandhi said, "You can insult me as much as you want, do it every day. But don't forget that we (the opposition) will get the Bill (on Caste Census) passed here (in Parliament)."

In a strong reaction to Anurag Thakur's remark on Gandhi's caste, Samajwadi Party leader and Kanauj MP Akhilesh Yadav questioned how anyone can talk about someone's caste in the House.

The war of words took place in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during the second face-off between the two leaders over the controversial Agnipath issue. Earlier, a clash took place during Yadav's speech on the Budget.