Facebook row
Facebook row: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey moves privilege motion against Shashi Tharoor, Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi/IBNS: The war of words between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over social media giant Facebook's content policies reached a new height on Wednesday with breach of privilege notice moved against each other by leaders of both parties.
Hours after Congress leader Shashi Tharoor moved a breach of privilege notice against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, the latter also returned the favour.
Dubey moved a notice for breach of privilege against Tharoor and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
In the notice, he alleged that while Tharoor had "surpassed all limits of decency, ethics and basic tenets of parliamentary procedure", Rahul had had "spread fake news and hatred."
Moving the motion against the Congress leaders, Dubey tweeted: "For the first time have I seen that a Chairman of a Parliamentary Committee has moved privilege against its own fellow member. Even after my extensive knowledge on Parliamentary rules, ethics, and conventions I still feel that the matter should be discussed in the Parliament."
For the first time have I seen that a Chairman of a Parliamentary Committee has moved privilege against its own fellow member. Even after my extensive knowledge on Parliamentary rules, ethics, and conventions I still feel that the matter should be discussed in the Parliament . https://t.co/1hzNtE7Hgu
— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) August 19, 2020
Have moved privilege motion against @RahulGandhi and @ShashiTharoor because in Facebook row he accused BJP of wrongdoings. Accusing the @BJP4India is like accusing all its MPs. Hence its a question of privilege because he questioned the intention, integrity, and honesty of MPs https://t.co/JyQ72h7Ohs
— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) August 19, 2020
Shashi Tharoor, who heads the parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, had earlier alleged in his notice that Dubey made "disparaging remarks" on social media after he decided to summon a panel meeting to discuss alleged "misconduct" of social media giant Facebook.
Hitting out at the Thiruvananthapuram lawmaker, Dubey tweeted, "The Chairman of Standing Commitee does not have the authority to do anything without discussion of the agenda with its member. @ShashiTharoor stop @RahulGandhi agenda without authorisation by the Committee and Speaker @ombirlakota."
The Chairman of Standing Commitee does not have the authority to do anything without discussion of the agenda with its member. @ShashiTharoor stop @RahulGandhi agenda without authorisation by the Committee and Speaker @ombirlakota https://t.co/4mKjoBgx6k
— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) August 17, 2020
A breach of privilege motion can be moved by members against others for violating privileges granted as parliamentarians.
If such a motion is passed against a lawmaker, it results in action that can go up to expulsion from the house.
The battle between the two leaders started after US publication Wall Street Journal reported Facebook had ignored the hate-speech posts, favouring the BJP.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook's senior executive Ankhi Das took the call of "deliberately ignoring" hate speech by BJP leaders.
The Journal reported that she had said that punishing violations by BJP workers "would damage the company's business prospects in the country."
The Journal's article alleged that Facebook has a "broader pattern of favouritism" towards the BJP.
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