After holding up proceedings in Parliament for over two weeks, the Congress inexplicably agreed to a discussion on the Lalit Modi controversy on Wednesday after Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan admitted its adjournment motion.
Having consistently maintained that it would not agree to a debate until External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Rajasthan Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje put in their papers, the Congress’s sudden U-turn baffled even its own members, especially since the monsoon session draws to a close on Thursday.
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjuna Kharge, explained that the government had, so far, rejected the demand to discuss this issue on an adjournment motion but once it agreed to do so, the party had no choice but to allow the debate.
The Speaker had actually rejected the adjournment motion but Swaraj intervened to plead that it should be admitted and that she was ready to respond to all the charges being levelled against her.
A reversal
Other Congress members maintained they agreed to a debate because they are at a disadvantage in the Lok Sabha, where they are hopelessly outnumbered by the ruling alliance. Moreover, the other Opposition parties, except the Left parties, had broken ranks with the Congress, they pointed out.
But many party members were not convinced with this explanation. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said since the party had steadfastly maintained “first resignation, then debate”, it should have stood its ground. The session is slated to end on Thursday and it was, therefore, just a matter of holding up proceedings for another two days, they said.
Others argued that their party could have continued its protests even after the government accepted its adjournment motion by insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak on this matter. As it happened, Congress members walked out when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley got up to reply to the debate, with the principal opposition party insisting that they wanted Modi to respond to all the issues raised by the Opposition. The prime minister kept away from the Lok Sabha throughout the day.
“At the end of the day…what have we gained politically by agreeing to a debate at such a late stage?” remarked a Congress leader. “We have ended up giving the government an opportunity to have its say and grab headlines.” Another Congress MP went as far as to describe the events as a “self goal”, pointing out that eventually it will be Swaraj’s explanation that will stand out in public memory.
However, Congress members drew some solace from party vice president Rahul Gandhi’s brief but fiery intervention that would assure them some media attention.
The debate itself reflected the bitterness that has crept into the relationship between the Congress and the government, with both sides making personal attacks against each other as charges and counter-charges flew thick and fast.
Having borne the brunt of the Congress attack for over two weeks, a clearly wounded Swaraj fought back valiantly and hit out specifically at the Gandhis by reminding them how Rajiv Gandhi had helped Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi and Bhopal gas leak-accused Warren Anderson escape from India.
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that she had benefitted monetarily from helping disgraced Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi obtain travel documents from the UK, Swaraj turned the tables on the Congress vice president, stating, “I want to tell Rahul Gandhi – you love holidays. On your next one, read up on your family history and come back and ask 'Momma, how much money did we get in the Quattrocchi case? Why did daddy let [Union Carbide chief] Anderson go? “
Warren Anderson, she claimed, had been allowed to leave the country in order to obtain the release of the son of a family friend Adil Shariyar. “This is called quid pro quo….Rahul should ask his mother,” Swaraj thundered as Congress members continued with their noisy protests in an effort to drown out the minister’s speech.
Rahul Gandhi's reply
A furious Rahul Gandhi responded in equal measure by slamming Swaraj and attacking Modi for his absence from the Lok Sabha, saying, “The Prime Minister is not here because he does not have the guts to sit in the House.”
Keeping the focus on Modi, the Congress vice president reminded him about his election promise to bring back black money. “Mr Prime Minister, you need to speak…you promised to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks but what are you doing about Lalit Modi who is nothing but a symbol of black money,” he said. “The country wants to hear the PM speak, why is he silent?”
The Nehru-Gandhi scion was equally unsparing when it came to Swaraj. He recounted how the external affairs minister held his hand when they met in the Parliament House on Tuesday and asked him, “Beta, why are you angry with me.”
The Congress leader said when he replied that that he was only speaking the truth, Swaraj immediately looked away. “She could not look me in the eye,” he said.
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Having consistently maintained that it would not agree to a debate until External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Rajasthan Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje put in their papers, the Congress’s sudden U-turn baffled even its own members, especially since the monsoon session draws to a close on Thursday.
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjuna Kharge, explained that the government had, so far, rejected the demand to discuss this issue on an adjournment motion but once it agreed to do so, the party had no choice but to allow the debate.
The Speaker had actually rejected the adjournment motion but Swaraj intervened to plead that it should be admitted and that she was ready to respond to all the charges being levelled against her.
A reversal
Other Congress members maintained they agreed to a debate because they are at a disadvantage in the Lok Sabha, where they are hopelessly outnumbered by the ruling alliance. Moreover, the other Opposition parties, except the Left parties, had broken ranks with the Congress, they pointed out.
But many party members were not convinced with this explanation. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said since the party had steadfastly maintained “first resignation, then debate”, it should have stood its ground. The session is slated to end on Thursday and it was, therefore, just a matter of holding up proceedings for another two days, they said.
Others argued that their party could have continued its protests even after the government accepted its adjournment motion by insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak on this matter. As it happened, Congress members walked out when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley got up to reply to the debate, with the principal opposition party insisting that they wanted Modi to respond to all the issues raised by the Opposition. The prime minister kept away from the Lok Sabha throughout the day.
“At the end of the day…what have we gained politically by agreeing to a debate at such a late stage?” remarked a Congress leader. “We have ended up giving the government an opportunity to have its say and grab headlines.” Another Congress MP went as far as to describe the events as a “self goal”, pointing out that eventually it will be Swaraj’s explanation that will stand out in public memory.
However, Congress members drew some solace from party vice president Rahul Gandhi’s brief but fiery intervention that would assure them some media attention.
The debate itself reflected the bitterness that has crept into the relationship between the Congress and the government, with both sides making personal attacks against each other as charges and counter-charges flew thick and fast.
Having borne the brunt of the Congress attack for over two weeks, a clearly wounded Swaraj fought back valiantly and hit out specifically at the Gandhis by reminding them how Rajiv Gandhi had helped Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi and Bhopal gas leak-accused Warren Anderson escape from India.
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that she had benefitted monetarily from helping disgraced Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi obtain travel documents from the UK, Swaraj turned the tables on the Congress vice president, stating, “I want to tell Rahul Gandhi – you love holidays. On your next one, read up on your family history and come back and ask 'Momma, how much money did we get in the Quattrocchi case? Why did daddy let [Union Carbide chief] Anderson go? “
Warren Anderson, she claimed, had been allowed to leave the country in order to obtain the release of the son of a family friend Adil Shariyar. “This is called quid pro quo….Rahul should ask his mother,” Swaraj thundered as Congress members continued with their noisy protests in an effort to drown out the minister’s speech.
Rahul Gandhi's reply
A furious Rahul Gandhi responded in equal measure by slamming Swaraj and attacking Modi for his absence from the Lok Sabha, saying, “The Prime Minister is not here because he does not have the guts to sit in the House.”
Keeping the focus on Modi, the Congress vice president reminded him about his election promise to bring back black money. “Mr Prime Minister, you need to speak…you promised to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks but what are you doing about Lalit Modi who is nothing but a symbol of black money,” he said. “The country wants to hear the PM speak, why is he silent?”
The Nehru-Gandhi scion was equally unsparing when it came to Swaraj. He recounted how the external affairs minister held his hand when they met in the Parliament House on Tuesday and asked him, “Beta, why are you angry with me.”
The Congress leader said when he replied that that he was only speaking the truth, Swaraj immediately looked away. “She could not look me in the eye,” he said.
