Yechury moves privilege motion against Irani

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has moved a privilege motion against HRD Minister Smriti Irani, accusing her of making “baseless allegations” against him on goddess Durga issue.

In a letter to RS Chairman, Yechury sought protection from the Chair, saying he was being “inundated with phone calls and messages full of profanity, obscenity and threats to him on the basis of allegations and calumny” spread against him in the House during the proceedings on February 26. 

“During the discussions on February 26, HRD Minister made completely baseless allegations against me imputing motives that are completely false. These allegations suggest that I had made some comments denigrating goddess Durga. There is absolutely no reference of anything of this nature in the course of the long discussions in the House. Such totally baseless allegations have had the incendiary affect of resulting in harassment that I continue to be subjected to,” he said.