Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has challenged the expunging of his "innocent" remarks in the Rajya Sabha in which he had named Congress party President Sonia Gandhi in connection with the AgustaWestland chopper deal, an issue that has rocked Parliament in recent days. Swamy had been warned by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien against naming individuals and "provoking" other members.
On Wednesday, a day after he was sworn into the Upper House of Parliament, Swamy trained his guns on the Congress party leader, telling the House she had been named in the court proceedings in Italy in which AgustaWestland chief Giuseppe Orsi was convicted for corruption in the 2010 chopper deal. His remarks were expunged, with a warning given to the BJP leader.
"The name of the member of the other house can't be taken. Since this is your first day, I am not admonishing you. But the name would be expunged," Kurien had told Swamy.
On Friday, Swamy took to Twitter to say the decision to expunge his remarks was "arbitrary, unreasonable and against RS Rules. [sic]" He said he had filed a notice in the Rajya Sabha challenging the expunging of his comments.
"On expunging my innocent remarks on TDK and Italy the Chm RS has assured me a hearing in his chamber on the illegality of Dy Chm Ruling [sic]," Swamy tweeted.
Swamy's comments in the Rajya Sabha had caused an uproar in the House, with members of the Congress party storming into the well and protesting.
Sonia Gandhi had responded to the BJP attack stating she was "not afraid."
"We have nothing to hide. Let them take my name, I am not afraid. I am not afraid of anyone cornering me as there is no basis to that. All the accusations they are throwing at us are false," she was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
