NEW DELHI, July 21:
The monsoon session of Parliament opened on a stormy note with prospects of continued disruption looming large on the demand for the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as BJP Chief Ministers in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh even as proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were washed out.
The Upper House was the theatre of confrontation as it witnessed repeated adjournments with Congress members trooping into the well of the House to press the resignation demand. It was supported by parties like CPI(M) and surprisingly Samajwadi Party, one of whose leaders had earlier dismissed the Congress campaign against Swaraj.
Outside Parliament, BSP leader Mayawati also joined the chorus for the resignation of Swaraj. TMC leader Mamata Banerjee also launched an attack on BJP saying it was “corrupt and communal” and her party would not bow before it.
Even as a storm was in the offing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed the hope that the session would be fruitful and that promises made by some parties during the last session to allow work on priority will be kept.
However, his appeal was ignored with Congress going for broke placing its demand and rushing to the Well of the House to force repeated adjournments.
In between adjournments, Finance Minister and Leader of the House Arun Jaitley made an offer that a debate can start straightaway with Swaraj’s statement or a reply at the end of the discussion.
But the Congress and other opposition parties, including the Left, rejected the bait saying “no resignation, no debate”. CPI(M) leader used an argument put forward by Jaitley when he was in the Opposition that “a discussion cannot be a substitute for an investigation. We want investigation.”
Congress leader Anand Sharma questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the controversies, while pointing out that he had promised to ensure transparency, accountability in governance and acting against those indulging in corrupt practices.
The Government kept saying that it was ready for a discussion on all issues, including the row related to Lalit Modi in which Swaraj and Raje are under attack but the opposition insisted on resignations before any debate could be taken up in the House.
The ruling side accused the opposition of “running away” from a debate, with Jaitley saying they were interested in disturbance and not debate.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked Congress for demanding resignations of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, saying if discussion on state issues is allowed, then Robert Vadra’s land deal and CBI’s probe against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh could also be discussed.
Then issues related to Ottavio Quattrocchi, who was investigated in Bofors scam, and the help given to Warren Anderson, an accused in Bhopal gas tragedy, by then Congress Government can also be discussed, he said.
At the end of the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu rejected the demand for the resignation of Swaraj, Raje and Chauhan and hit back at the Congress over the bribery scam surrounding Chief Minister of Assam and former Chief Minister of Goa.
Speaking separately, Naidu claimed that there was no allegation whatsoever against any of the NDA Ministers. “Nothing illegal has been done by anybody. Our Government is totally scam free Government”.
Congress tactics is not to discuss but to disrupt which will “boomerang on them”, the Union Minister said indicating that the confrontation would continue as Government would not accept the opposition demand.
Lok Sabha was adjourned immediately after it met for the day as a mark of tribute to a sitting member who passed away recently. Tomorrow is the first working day of the Lower House in the session which concludes on Aug 13.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha paid tributes to a sitting member and 13 former MPs who died in the recent past on the first day of the Monsoon session today, following which the House was adjourned without transacting any business.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also informed the House that TRS member from Warangal in Telangana Kadiyam Srihari had resigned on June 11 and she has accepted his resignation.
Dileep Singh Bhuria (71), a sitting BJP member from Ratlam, passed away on June 24. A veteran politician, he was a member of five Lok Sabhas earlier as well as a member of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.
The Lok Sabha also paid tributes to former members Ismail Hussain, Denzil B Atkinson, Sheshrao Deshmukh, Rana Vir Singh, Manoranjan Bhakta, Sheila Kaul, Shashi Prakash, Chand Ram, Rajshekhar Singh, Pratapsinh Shankar Rao Mohite, S M Bhattam, Moreshwar Save and Namdeo Harbaji Diwathe.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha failed to transact any significant business today on the first day of the Monsoon session as opposition pressed for resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as also Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh over various controversies.
Rajya Sabha saw repeated adjournments with opposition members creating uproar, including by trooping into the Well of the House.
The Government maintained that it was ready to discuss the controversy related to Lalit Modi in which Swaraj and Raje are under attack, the opposition insisted on resignations before any debate could be taken up in the House.
Amid war of words and slogan-shouting by Congress members in the Well of the House, BJP accused the opposition of “running away” from a debate.
Trouble started as soon as the Upper House met for the day and obituary references were made, with Anand Sharma of Congress raising the matter related to Lalit Modi controversy and demanded a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje are under attack for their links with Lalit Modi, the former IPL Chairman who is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case.
Sharma asked why Swaraj had requested British Government to issue travel documents to Lalit Modi two and a half months after NDA came to power in June last year.
Sharma also raised the issue of affidavit signed by Raje favouring Lalit Modi.
“The Prime Minister had assured to ensure transparency, accountability in governance and acting against those indulging in corrupt practices… Where is the probity left? You have violated the dignity,” he said.
Amid objections from the treasury benches to his remarks, Congress members trooped into the Well of the House.
Congress was joined by CPI(M) and Samajwadi Party in its demand for resignations, leading to uproar and five adjournments till 3 PM, when the House was adjourned for the day.
In the midst of pandemonium, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley introduced the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, over which the Government had issued an Ordinance in June.
While raking up the Lalit Modi issue, Sharma questioned the “humanitarian grounds” on which Britain was requested by Swaraj to issue the travel documents to him.
The Congress leader alleged that Lalit Modi was travelling around the world as if “on a pleasure trip and as a tourist”.
Jaitley, the Leader of the House, said the Government was ready for an immediate discussion and that Swaraj could make a statement on the issue.
“Please start a discussion immediately. You don’t want a discussion…. You don’t have to press your case for a discussion. I am making an offer and would suggest … If they want to start a discussion, then start it immediately. If they want a statement from the External Affairs Minister, we are ready for it. Sushma Swaraj will make a statement within five minutes,” Jaitley said.
But Congress members continued to create an uproar.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said serious allegations have come up against Ministers and Chief Ministers of States.
He said that a discussion in the House was not a substitution to an investigation. “Let there be a high-level investigation and till the investigation is over, let these people demit office,” he said.
Naresh Agarwal (SP) too said, “First they (Swaraj and Raje) should resign and only then can a discussion be allowed and the House can function.”
He said an entire session was washed out in a similar situation earlier when BJP was in opposition and did not allow the House to run after allegations against some Ministers.
“In Mathura, the Prime Minister, on completion of one year of his Government, had said there is no allegation against any Minister of his Government. But now several Chief Ministers and Ministers are under cloud,” Agarwal said.
Criticising the opposition for the uproar, Jaitley said it was a “farcical” discussion on whether to have a discussion. “What are you discussing? Allow the motion and start discussion when the Government has already supported it (motion for discussion),” he said.
As Deputy Chairman P J Kurien allowed Yechury to speak, Jaitley said, “Are you giving Sitaram Yechury a television opportunity?”
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi joined Jaitley, saying “we are ready for discussion”.
To this, Kurien retorted “simply because the Government is ready to discuss, it is not necessary that the Chair will allow it.” He said the decision will be taken after listening to others and “Yechury is having the floor and nobody else.”
Agarwal, while seeking permission to speak on the Lalit Modi issue, said his notice under Section 267 was accepted by the Chair but House was adjourned due to disturbance when Anand Sharma started speaking.
“There was no hearing,” Agarwal said, as ruling BJP members demanded starting of a discussion on the matter.
Kurien said, “I am not going to stop anybody. I have not allowed moving of the motion as I want to take a decision on the issue”.
He also chided the opposition members asking “why are you creating trouble?”
Yechury, while hitting out at Jaitley, said when the Leader of the House was the Leader of the Opposition during the UPA rule, at that time, in similar cases, an entire session was washed out.
Jaitley had then stated that a discussion in the House was “not a substitute for impartiality of people in allegation and they should not remain in position,” Yechury said, charging the BJP with not adopting the same yardstick now when they are in the treasury benches.
Meanwhile, a combative Government today accused the Congress-led opposition of running away from debate after they stalled Rajya Sabha demanding resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and two BJP Chief Ministers over Lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam.
Opposition parties rejected the Government offer of a statement by Swaraj, who is accused of helping Lalit Modi in getting the UK travel documents, and a debate “in any format, at any time”, saying she must resign first.
Their refusal of Government’s offer prompted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to say they were interested in disturbance not debate.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked Congress over its demand that Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan quit, saying if discussion on State issues is allowed, then Robert Vadra’s land deal and CBI’s probe against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh could also be discussed.
On demand for discussion of Vyapam scam, in which Congress is targeting Chouhan and Raje’s alleged help to Lalit Modi, BJP said State issues cannot be discussed in Parliament.
Jaitley, who is Leader of the Rajya Sabha, said Government offered that the issue can be discussed in the House with Swaraj making a statement on it, but the Opposition rejected it.
“We get a distinct and clear impression that the opposition wants disturbance for some time. They don’t want a discussion. The Government is publicly declaring, as we have in the House, that we are ready for a discussion in any format, at any time,” he told reporters after Rajya Sabha was adjourned repeatedly over the issue.
“We offered that Sushma Swaraj could reply to the discussion. Other Central Ministers if necessary will also reply to the discussion and in case they want her to make a statement, we can even start with her making a statement and the discussion could be structured around her statement. We left the option to the opposition which has not been accepted by them,” he said. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel