Rahul Gandhi has never bowed before this government, says Priyanka

The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has “never bowed before this government”, and the ruling side was unable to “digest the truth he speaks in the House”, Lok Sabha member from Wayanad and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Tuesday (March 10, 2026).

Ms. Vadra also took a swipe at the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju for invoking Jawaharlal Nehru during a parliamentary debate, despite the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) long-standing criticism of India’s first Prime Minister.

Parliament Budget session updates on March 10, 2026

Her remarks came after Mr. Rijiju, during the debate on the resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, quoted Nehru’s observations made in 1954 while opposing a motion to remove the then Speaker G.V. Mavalankar. Nehru had described the resolution as a “vicious thing”, and questioned whether those who had signed it had even read it carefully.

Mr. Rijiju also took a dig at the Congress, saying that if Ms. Vadra had been made the Leader of the Opposition, the Congress’s performance would have been better. “Priyanka Gandhi is sitting there and is laughing. If they had made her the LoP, the performance would have been better. At least she sits in the House, listens, and also smiles,” Mr. Rijiju said.

After Mr. Rijiju’s speech, Ms. Vadra sought to respond to the observations made by the Minister.

““He (Mr. Rijiju) mentioned that I was laughing. I wanted to clear that I was laughing because whom they keep criticising day and night, that Nehru-ji, they used a quote of Nehru-ji for their own argument. They have suddenly started respecting Nehru-ji and that he strengthened democracy and gave such a speech,” Ms. Vadra said.

She also asserted that Mr. Gandhi continues to raise uncomfortable questions in Parliament. “There is only one person in the past 12 years who has not bowed before this government and that is the Leader of the Opposition. He speaks the truth without hesitation in the House, and they cannot digest it,” Ms. Vadra said.