As the opposition has been attacking the ruling party to conduct a special counsel investigation into allegations that First Lady Kim Keon-hee received a luxury bag, the ruling side has launched a counteroffensive calling for a probe into former First Lady Kim Jung-sook's trip to India.

According to a People Power Party(PPP) official on Monday, a proposal was made during a closed-door leadership meeting to hand over the alleged preferential treatment case involving former First Lady Kim to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

This comes after a PPP lawmaker disclosed on Friday that Kim, former President Moon Jae-in's wife, spent about 230 million won using the presidential plane for her visit to India in 2018.

Another PPP lawmaker, Yoon Sang-hyun, announced on Monday that he would propose a bill calling for a special counsel probe into allegations of abuse of power and breach of trust related to Kim's India trip, as well as suspicions she used public funds for personal shopping.

On a radio show on Monday, main opposition Democratic Party(DP) lawmaker Youn Kun-young slammed the PPP's move as politically motivated.