Raut defends Rahul over his remarks against Amit Shah
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has defended Rahul Gandhi against breach of privilege complaints regarding remarks made about Amit Shah. Raut argued that the term 'idiot' is not unparliamentary and criticized the government's handling of the situation.
Why it matters
Reflects ongoing political tensions and debates over parliamentary conduct and freedom of speech in India.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday (August 16, 2026) invoked the title of a popular Bollywood movie to defend Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi' s remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying they can't be construed as "unparliamentary".
The Lok Sabha secretariat has sought a response from Mr. Gandhi to two separate complaints of "breach of privilege" filed by BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Sanjay Jaiswal for his remarks against Mr. Shah during a debate on the anti-paper leak bill. The secretariat has asked Mr. Gandhi to submit his response to the allegations against him by August 28.
"Idiot is not an unparliamentary word. Calling anyone silly is not unparliamentary. The usage of the word hurts those who are silly. It's government silliness if Gandhi has been issued any notice," Mr. Raut told reporters.
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