Modi’s remarks on Cong MP expunged

Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday expunged some remarks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made in Parliament’s upper house about Congress member BK Hariprasad.

Modi made the remarks on Thursday while felicitating Janata Dal (United) member Harivansh Narayan Singh for his election as the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. Hariprasad was the opposition’s candidate for the post.

“He (Singh) has been blessed with the talent of writing. He was also a favourite of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar ji... now, we are all Hari bharose (dependent on him),’’ he had said before making the comments about Hariprasad.

Speaking in Hindi, Modi had resorted to some word play on Hariprasad’s first name initials

The comments were expunged after Rashtriya Janta Dal member Manoj Kumar Jha demanded their deletion from the record, saying they were objectionable.

Deletions of a prime minister’s remarks are rare. Parliament officials said some words the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had used in 2013 were also removed from the record.

Hariprasad regretted Modi’s remarks. “The Prime Minister belittled the dignity of the chair and brought down the dignity of the house.”

Naidu also expunged a word Union minister Ramdas Athawale had used during the felicitations.

Hariprasad was the opposition’s last-minute pick after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decided not to put up a candidate on Tuesday.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar decided against fielding a candidate after Biju Janata Dal chief and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik made it clear to him that his party would support Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance’s candidate, Singh.

NEW DELHI: