AMN /
Government Wednesday rejected Congress’ demand of resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the Lalit Modi controversy. The adjournment motion by the Congress was defeated by a voice-vote in the Lok Sabha. Replying to a discussion under motion in the House, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley rebutted point-by-point all the allegations of the Congress and said that there is no question of resignation of Sushma Swaraj.
Saying that the previous UPA government mishandled the former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi case, Jaitley alleged that the Congress is making a mountain of a mole. He said that the real reason behind the Congress raising this issue is that it ran a failed government.
Mr. Jaitley said the BJP demanded resignations of some UPA ministers only when the Supreme court had taken the cognizance of coal scam and allocation of spectrum and FIRs were lodged. On not disclosing the correspondence between P Chidambaram and British government, Mr. Jaitley clarified that the RTI Act bars seeking of papers from investigative agencies.
Congress members staged a walkout when the minister began his reply. Intervening in the discussion, Sushma Swaraj said that the real culprit in Lalit Modi case is the then UPA Government and not the present regime. She also rubbished all the opposition allegations leveled against her and said neither her husband nor her daughter received a single penny from Lalit Modi.
Ms. Swaraj alleged that the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram acted in the case due to personal reasons and Congress was divided on this issue. Denying any conflict of interest in Lalit Modi case, Ms Swaraj lashed out at Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-president Rahul Gandhi citing cases of Ottavio Quattrocchi and Warren Anderson. She said appointment of Mr. Chidambaram’s wife as advocate of Income Tax Department and her getting one crore rupees from Saradha chit fund are examples of real quid pro quo.
Earlier, moving the adjournment motion, Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress demanded Ms. Swaraj’s resignation on moral grounds. He said that despite knowing all the facts about Lalit Modi’s offences, she helped him in obtaining travel documents. He also asked why didn’t the External Affairs Ministry appeal in the Supreme Court in regard to Lalit Modi’s passport.
He said that the External Affairs Minister can not hide behind the argument of helping Lalit Modi on humanitarian grounds, as law and humanitarian grounds are two different things. Mr. Kharge also demanded disclosure of the correspondence between the then union minister P Chidambaram and the British government.
Parliamentary Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has urged the Congress, which has fifty years of experience to rule the country, to allow democracy to function and not to make sweeping allegations.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha at the end of Finance Minister’s reply on adjournment motion, Mr Naidu appealed to the Congress not to misuse parliament to make allegations against the Prime Minister who wants to take the country forward.
Mr Naidu said, he is pained that External Affairs Minister Shusma Swaraj, who is an honest and best performing Minister is facing a totally negative propaganda. Mr Naidu alleged that when the Congress was in power it pulled the country backwards and now when it is in opposition it is not allowing the country to move forward.
Earlier, the House witnessed pandemonium over the issue as Speaker Sumitra Mahaja had disallowed the motion which entails voting. Mrs Swaraj requested the Speaker to admit the motion. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said that the government has no objection on the discussion in any form.