Rahul is ‘lying’, should give facts in Herald case: BJP

“People only talk about GST and parliament but there are also several other measures for the poor that are pending in parliament”.

“They said the revenue neutral rate should be 18 per cent. So the expert committee set up by us said that no it should be at 15 per cent. Now that 18 per cent argument is nowhere to be seen, now they are saying that 18 per cent has to be written in Constitution”.

Sharma accused Congress of being a “champion” in corruption and its cover-up and said it was now trying politicise the Herald case to create “pressure” on the judiciary.

Sibal referred to comments made by revenue ministers of BJP-ruled Maharashtra and Haryana governments favouring cancellation of leases of properties of National Herald and asked “Is this not political vendetta?” The Congress yet not stated what it actually it wants from the Parliament or the Government to do in this matter.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister had faced the charges against him and even “grilling by SIT” in a dignified manner.

Modi’s slow progress on economic reforms has anxious investors, and he could struggle to implement GST by the April deadline if the bill is not passed in the current parliament session that ends on December 23.

The Congress and Trinamool Congress also staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha over “offensive” remarks on party vice-president Rahul Gandhi by a BJP member.

He said Congress leaders have to find a way out of the “chakravyuh” that is their own creation. “There was no cheating in National Herald case”.

“In democracy, the king or prince or common man, the law is equal for all and no one is above it. If you have done something, face it. Don’t hurt the interests of the country and its people”, he said. Meri Marji (I will do what I desire).

“We challenge Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to come out with facts before public and not do false propaganda to destroy the image of the Prime Minister and the government”.

“These are clearly afterthoughts in order to delay GST, I have no doubt in my mind”, Jaitley said.

“Noting that democracy “cannot be restricted to elections and governments alone”, the Prime Minister listed “mantantra” (doing what they like) and “dhantantra” (money power)” as the two main threats to democracy. “Does the country run like this?” he said.