House impasse: Govt, Congress refuse to budge from positions

Regional parties on Monday waffled over disruptions in Parliament, but with the Congress and the BJP continuing to ratchet up the rhetoric there was very little hope of any substantive business getting transacted in the remaining three days of the monsoon session.

The Congress sought to compensate for its relative isolation by stepping up its attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on her assistance to former IPL chief Lalit Modi. The BJP responded in equal measure, accusing Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi of wanting “India’s growth story to suffer”. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley led from the front in the Rajya Sabha and outside, alleging that the Gandhis do not want the country to develop.

“We are constrained to observe that the issue of Sushmaji is merely a pretext. The real motive of the Congress leadership is that they do not want the GST Bill to be passed. To stop it is their clear motive. They want India’s growth story to suffer and are making a full endeavour in that direction through their disruptionist policy,” Arun Jaitley told reporters outside Parliament.

Opposition allegation Rahul Gandhi, on his part, said Parliament will function provided “Sushma Swaraj discloses details of how much money has been deposited in her family’s account by Lalit Modi”. Simultaneously, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal alleged that the Government is protecting the former IPL chief because Lalit Modi was allegedly helping Narendra Modi and Amit Shah as President and Vice-President of the Gujarat Cricket Association to enable “the Adani Group/Videocon in seeking a franchise for an IPL team for Ahmedabad”.

Inside the two Houses, the Congress continued to protest and block proceedings. In the Lok Sabha, 25 suspended Congress MPs entered the House after their five-day suspension period, once again raising slogans and carrying placards to the Well of the Lok Sabha. They demanded the resignation of Sushma Swaraj, rubbishing her explanation in the House last week.

It was, however, clear that the Government floor managers had reached out to some members of the Opposition, particularly Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Yadav, who was sitting with Sonia Gandhi in the front row, got up to ask the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan why she does not invite the Opposition for a discussion. This was a welcome opening as the Speaker repeated, “I have been requesting them to participate in a discussion. The Government also wants a discussion,” she said.

Simultaneously, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge got up to press for an adjournment motion on the issue for which he had earlier given a notice. “We have demanded an adjournment motion,” said Mallikarjun Kharge.

The House was then adjourned for 30 minutes to call leaders of various parties to break the logjam. However, the Congress reportedly was not in favour with both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi peddling a hard line.

In the Rajya Sabha, no business could be transacted as the ruling and opposition sides engaged in heated arguments over continued disruptions and protests over appointment of two Governors and signing of the Naga accord allegedly without consulting the States concerned.

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