Deoghar (Jharkhand) [India], February 18 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey criticised the Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, stating that the Congress leader wants to divide the country.

Speaking to the media, Nishikant Dubey said, '...Rahul Gandhi wants to divide this country into pieces. Be it in the name of backward or forward, scheduled caste or tribe, men and women. If any such person stands, then whatever I have about him, whatever it is, I am not the only person in the Parliament who has come up with something new. There are many such examples in which membership was withdrawn in substantive motion and the Supreme Court has also said that the Parliament has this right. I have documents, whether it is about his relations with Soros Foundation, going to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand. If the Speaker accepts our motion, then I will present my facts before the public. After that the Parliament can take whatever decision it wants.'

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey initiated a substantive motion seeking the expulsion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.

Dubey argues that the motion aims to 'expose the intentions of the Tukde Tukde gang to divide the country into pieces' and asserts that Parliament has previously expelled members through similar motions, a process upheld by the Supreme Court. The accompanying text highlights past instances of expulsion for misconduct, including those of Subramanian Swamy, Chhattrapal Singh Lodha, and Swami Sakshi Ji Maharaj.

On X, he wrote, 'Parliament has from time to time expelled members through substantive motions, particularly the Indian National Congress has done so, sometimes Subramanian Swamy ji in the Rajya Sabha, sometimes Chhatrapal Lodhi ji, and sometimes Sakshi Maharaj ji. The Supreme Court has also upheld the proceedings of Parliament in its judgment. The motion I have moved against Rahul Gandhi ji will expose the intentions of the Tukde Tukde gang to divide the country into pieces. The decision will be made by Parliament.'

Earlier on Saturday, a fierce political row erupted between BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the India-US interim trade agreement. The row centres on the agreement's impact on India's massive textile sector and its millions of cotton farmers.

Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of misleading the country over tariff provisions in the India-US interim trade agreement, alleging that the deal would adversely impact India's cotton farmers and textile exporters.

This prompted a response from the BJP leader, who said Gandhi's claims about cotton production and textile mills are false and challenged him to a debate on any forum. Later, he spoke to ANI, where he further criticised Gandhi, calling him a 'mahamurkh' LoP, and defended the Centre's approach to safeguarding farmers and boosting exports. (ANI)