A political exchange in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday turned into a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi after Union minister Kiren Rijiju questioned his conduct in Parliament.

Rijiju said he had never seen such behaviour from a political leader. He recalled an incident when Rahul Gandhi hugged the prime minister in the House and then winked at members of his party.

“I have never seen such a leader, who comes and hugs the prime minister, then goes back to his seat and winks at fellow party MPs ('aankh maarta hai'),” Rijiju said while speaking in Hindi. At the time of his remarks, neither Rahul Gandhi nor Narendra Modi was present in the House.

Remarks Made During No-Confidence Motion Debate

Rijiju made the comments while opposing a no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition against Om Birla. The Congress-led Opposition accused Birla of acting with bias while conducting parliamentary proceedings. The minister used the earlier incident to argue that the Leader of Opposition does not take parliamentary behaviour seriously.

2018 Hug-and-Wink Incident Recalled

The incident Rijiju referred to happened in 2018 during a debate in Parliament. At that time, Rahul Gandhi walked across the aisle and hugged Prime Minister Modi during his speech. After returning to his seat, he appeared to wink at fellow opposition lawmakers.

During that speech, Rahul Gandhi said he wanted to “clean your hearts of hatred, and ignite love instead” while presenting the Indian National Congress as a “party for every Indian” and accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of being a “divisive force”.

Leaders of the BJP criticised the gesture at the time. Many called it childish, while Prime Minister Modi later joked about the moment.

Rijiju Refers to Jawaharlal Nehru’s Speech

During his speech, Rijiju also referred to former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He urged the Opposition to remember Nehru’s defence of former Lok Sabha Speaker G V Mavalankar when a similar motion was brought in the 1950s. Responding to criticism from the ruling party, Rahul Gandhi later said the BJP had accused him of smiling in the House.

“They (BJP-led NDA government's MPs) say I keep smiling when they speak. I smile, I laugh because they are suddenly praising Jawaharlal Nehru whom they otherwise abuse for his speech when a motion was brought against the LS Speaker of the time (in the 1950s).”

Rijiju Ends Speech With Mughal-Era Couplet

Rijiju concluded his speech by reciting a couplet written by poet Muztar Khairabadi. The lines were originally written in reference to the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar before the British took control of Delhi.

“Na kisi ki aankh ka noor hun, na kisi ke dil ka qaraar hun; jo kisi ke kaam na aa sake, main woh ek musht-e-ghubar hun.” The verse reflects a pessimistic tone about being insignificant or forgotten.

Opposition and Government Trade Barbs

Earlier in the debate, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said Rahul Gandhi had not been allowed to speak in Parliament. Rijiju rejected the claim. He reminded the House that an Opposition MP had earlier said they did not need anyone’s permission to speak in Parliament.

“That day I was upset for the fact that the Opposition MP said that 'I do not need permission from anyone to speak in Parliament'. This is on record,” Rijiju said.He also criticised Opposition members for acting as if they were above the authority of the Speaker. “If someone believes themselves to be above the speaker, then I have no cure for that,” he added.

Amit Shah Defends Government’s Position

Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended Rijiju during the debate. He said interruptions in the House sometimes become necessary when members do not follow parliamentary rules. Shah is expected to speak in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during the ongoing discussion on the motion seeking the removal of Om Birla.

Dispute Linked to Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks on Border Conflict

The controversy surrounding the Speaker also connects to remarks Rahul Gandhi made during the budget session earlier this year. Rahul had referred to excerpts from an unpublished memoir titled Four Stars of Destiny written by former Army chief M M Naravane. He claimed the manuscript exposed Prime Minister Modi’s failure to take responsibility during the 2020 border conflict with China.

However, the government objected strongly. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said referring to a manuscript that had not been cleared by the Defence Ministry violated parliamentary rules. He also said the alleged contents cited by Rahul Gandhi were incorrect.