Cong rallies Oppn on ‘no resignation, no discussion’ strategy

Congress on Thursday ruled out talks with the government for breaking the logjam in Parliament, making it clear that it will continue till its demand for resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and BJP chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan is met.

Rahul’s sharp and unsparing remarks added fresh fuel to the row over Congress’s demand that Swaraj and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje step down for assisting fallen IPL ex-chief Lalit Modi with travel documents and an immigration application while Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Chauhan quit over the Vyapam recruitment scam.

A day after the Congress and the NCP boycotted the business advisory committee in Lok Sabha, opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha did not attend a meeting convened by leader of the House Arun Jaitley to find a way out of the frequent disruptions.

New Delhi, July 23 In an apparent bid to counter the Opposition’s demand for resignations of BJP ministers, two party parliamentarians on Thursday moved a privilege motion against Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra.

Rajya Sabha saw heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches, primarily over the modalities for a discussion on the Lalit Modi controversy, with members of the Congress, Left and other parties insisting “no resignation, no discussion“. “Regret to see India led by such so-called leaders!!”, Vadra’s post read.

Several Congress members moved near the Speaker’s podium, carrying placards targeted at Swaraj and raising questions over the “silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Asked if the Congress was rattled, the Congress leader said his party did not bow even before the British, what to speak of the present government. He had written on Facebook on Tuesday: “Parliament begins and so do their diversionary political tactics”.

The din created by the war of slogan-shouting forced the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day, minutes past noon. “The PM had assured the country that he will not tolerate corruption”. Lalit Modi is facing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day just after papers were tabled at noon, while the Rajya Sabha was adjourned at 2.10 pm after two adjournments earlier. “We got no answer on the Vyapam scam, no answer on Chhattisgarh and no answer on Sushma”, Rahul told reporters outside Parliament.