Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said there was a prima facie case of an act of omission against top BJP leaders, adding that unless investigation of this 'lethal cocktail of crime and corruption' is over the ministers concerned should demit office.
Yechury pulled up Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the controversies surrounding them.
"The Representation of the People's Act specifically states that doing a favour to any individual that does not reflect any advantage of public interest is as an act of corruption. According to the definition of India, under the law of the country, corruption is construed to have taken place if there is an act of commission in which material benefit has been accrued, or if there is an act of omission," Yechury told the media here.
"If by omission, the authority of the office is misused, it is construed as corruption. What we are saying is that there is a prima facie case of an act of omission as far as the Minister of External Affairs, the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is concerned. This is, I say, a lethal cocktail of crime and corruption," he added.
The CPM leader further said that the issue needs to be dealt at the central level.
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"Murders are taking place outside of the state. So it is not a state law and order problem. It is an issue that is to dealt at the Central level. So what we are saying is that according to the law of the land, these charges can be framed," Yechury said.
"We are not saying punish the accused on the basis of these charges. We are saying that an investigation should be conducted and the persons against whom the charges have been framed should stay out of office until the investigation is over. That is why we are saying that these persons should demit office," he added.
Yechury further said that rules applicable to government officers and servants must also be applicable to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet, who claims to be the 'Pradhan Sevak' of the country.
"What applies to government officers should apply to ministers as well. The Prime Minister had said that he is not the 'Pradhan Mantri' but the 'Pradhan Sevak'. If he is 'Pradhan Sevak', he is a 'pradhan' government functionary. Why should then the rules applicable to government officers and servants not be applicable?" he asked.
"This Constitution mandates us as members of Parliament the responsibility to make the executive accountable and that cannot be done through debate because debate is not a substitute of investigation. But the government is saying that we are disrupting the House," he added.
In the Lok Sabha, several opposition members including Mallikarjun Kharge had given notices for suspension of the question hour to take up the issues. However, Speaker Sumitra Majahan rejected the notices.
BJP chief whip Arjun Ram Meghwal wanted to move a privilege motion against Vadra.
The House witnessed unprecedented noisy scenes forcing Speaker to adjourn the House till tomorrow.
The Rajya Sabha also witnessed two adjournments in the pre-lunch session amid uproar over the Lalit Modi episode with the opposition Congress continuously pressing for the resignation of the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
As the House re-assembled at noon after its first adjournment, Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari wanted to take up question hour but the opposition refused to yield.
As the noisy scenes continued, Vice President Ansari had adjourned the House till 2 p.m., before adjourning it for the day.
