Venkaiah Naidu Expunges Sitharaman's References to Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha

Kharge demanded that Gandhi's name be expunged because she is not a member of the Upper House.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday, 1 August, expunged the references made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to Sonia Gandhi in the House on 28 July.

Sitharaman had demanded an apology from the Congress president for the "rashtrapatni" remark by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, whom she accused of insulting the President.

The references were made by Sitharaman on the morning of July 28 soon after the laying of papers in the House.

"As the members of the Press Gallery are aware, the Chair was pleased to direct expunction of a certain portion of the proceedings of Rajya Sabha dated 28-07-2022 at about 11:05 am," said an official order from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.