The Lok Sabha witnessed tumultuous scenes on February 2, 2026, leading to multiple adjournments, after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey made remarks referencing Jawaharlal Nehru. The Congress party has lodged a formal complaint with the Speaker, alleging the remarks were disrespectful and unwarranted.
The controversy began when Dubey, during a debate, invoked historical letters and alleged past tensions between the Nehru family and military figures. Dubey stated, "I want to show an old letter from Nehru mentioning General Cariappa... The Nehru family had conflicts with General Thimayya, General Cariappa, and Field Marshal Manekshaw. Their history is one of cowardice". These comments sparked immediate uproar from the opposition benches, with Congress members demanding the remarks be expunged from the record.
The Congress party has strongly condemned Dubey's statements, arguing that they were a deliberate attempt to malign the legacy of a former Prime Minister and a freedom fighter. They asserted that Dubey's reliance on selectively chosen historical documents presented a distorted view of Nehru's contributions to the nation. The party has formally requested the Speaker to take action against Dubey for allegedly breaching parliamentary decorum and making unsubstantiated allegations.
In response to the Congress's criticism of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Dubey launched an attack on the Congress, targeting Nehru's handling of the 1962 Indo-China war and posting a letter written by Nehru to then US President John F. Kennedy. Dubey has, on previous occasions, used declassified documents to question the foreign policy decisions of past Congress governments. He has also accused Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi of behaving as though they have exclusive rights over Nehru, stating that Nehru's decisions as the first Prime Minister are open to public scrutiny.
The situation further escalated when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from what he claimed was the "memoir" of former Army Chief General MM Naravane regarding the 2020 India-China conflict. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh strongly objected, questioning the authenticity and public availability of the document. Speaker Om Birla disallowed Gandhi from quoting the article, citing rules of procedure. This led to heated exchanges and the adjournment of the House.
Government sources said that Rahul Gandhi was reading "concocted things" on China and that Nehru "surrendered thousands of acres of land just to further his own statesmanship". Shashi Tharoor, a Congress leader, countered that the government's overreaction had paralyzed the House and questioned why it was afraid of a discussion. He argued that the information Gandhi wished to raise was already in the public domain.
The Speaker has repeatedly urged members to maintain order and decorum in the House. Amid the chaos, proceedings were adjourned multiple times. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey stated that the parliament functions according to the Speaker.