In A Rare Move, Portion Of PM Modi’s Rajya Sabha Speech Expunged From Records

In a rare move, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has expunged a word from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Upper House on Thursday. The word expunged from Modi’s Rajya Sabha speech was used during his reply to the discussion on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget session.

"Chairman was pleased to direct expunction of a certain portion of the proceedings of Rajya Sabha dated February 6 at about 6.20 and 6.30 pm," a statement issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman routinely expunges any remark found unsuitable from Rajya Sabha's records after going through the proceedings of the day. However, this has been very rare that any remark of PM Modi was expunged.

Modi had made the remark as he launched a strong defence of the NPR saying the country's population register was being updated with demographic information for better targeting of government's welfare schemes.

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He had targeted the opposition Congress for making a U-turn, saying the party had brought the NPR in 2010 and was later updated in 2015 by adding photographs and some biometric information.

Naidu also expunged a word from Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's statement made after Modi had finished his speech. Azad had stated that the Congress was in favour of giving citizenship to persecuted migrants from Pakistan but was against framing of a law based on religion.