Both Houses of Parliament witnessed disruptions for the fourth day over LalitGate and the Vyapam scam and failed to transact any business. A breakthrough is unlikely as the Opposition and the government are in no mood to talk on ending the impasse, with both sides blaming each other for the deadlock in Parliament.

Agree to disagree While the government criticised the “uncharitable” comments made by the Opposition against BJP leaders, including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the Congress maintained that there was no scope for a debate on the issue unless the ministers concerned resign. Both sides have given indicated that the Monsoon Session was set for a washout as the protests are likely to continue next week as well.

BJP piqued Sharpening its attack against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, the BJP said the Amethi MP is practicing politics of “spit and run”.

What irked them the ruling party were Gandhi’s comments against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday that she had committed a criminal act and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “56-inch chest” had been reduced to “5.6 inches”.

Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said use of such vocabulary was “unfortunate and undemocratic”. “Because of these words, I am demanding that Rahul Gandhi should make an apology to the country because it is not only defaming Sushma Swaraj, but defaming the Foreign Minister of the country, who is the representative of India in the world,” Gadkari said. He said if the Congress vice-president did not apologise, the BJP would file a criminal defamation case against him.

Gadkari said the allegations against Swaraj were baseless. “She has neither violated any law nor our Constitution. She has not indulged in any corrupt or illegal activity. She is a very prominent leader of the country,” he said.

Rahul irresponsible Party colleague Prakash Javadekar later said it was “irresponsible and immature” of Gandhi to speak of the Prime Minister in such language. “He has crossed all limits of decency in public life. His new strategy is ‘spit and run’. It won’t work. The script writer he hired after his 56-day tour has failed him. He writes only two lines for the purpose of headlines,” Javadekar added.

‘BJP the stumbling block’ Earlier, in the Rajya Sabha, Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the BJP has become a “stumbling block” in the functioning of House. Meanwhile, a meeting of senior leaders of the party in Rajya Sabha has decided to step up the protests until Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan resign. Rahul Gandhi also reiterated this position at a rally in Andhra Pradesh on Friday.

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