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The Congress on Thursday dismissed External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's claim that she had not done any wrongdoing with regard to the Lalitgate controversy as “hogwash”.
The Congress seemed to be in no mood to relent and is likely to continue disrupting Parliament in the coming week also. The party has been attending Parliament for the last five days, protesting over suspension of its 25 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
Underscoring the fact that there was no change in its strategy even after the period of suspension ends on Monday, the A Congress leader said, “Protest is a fundamental right in a democracy. Let there be resignations, we will ready for discussions next minute itself.”
Taking a cue from the Lok Sabha, more than a dozen BJP members of the Rajya Sabha have written to House Chairman Mohammad Ansari seeking action against 'unruly' Congress MPs.
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Congress spokesperson and deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said, “Parliament is responsible for the logjam. The opposition is duty-bound to enforce accountability because the ruling party believes it's beyond parliamentary accountability.”
Sharma made it clear that until Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack the ministers, the Congress would continue with the protests. This implied that the very reason on which the 25 party MPs had been expelled in the first place would continue- the Congress benches intend to return to the Lok Sabha on Monday with bigger banners and possibly bigger posters.
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With the Rajya Sabha again adjourning without transacting any business, there was speculation that the government might resort to adjourning Parliament sine die as it was clear that the Congress would not allow the house to function.
Meanwhile, tearing to shreds the "tear jeaker" that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attempted to unleash in her defence in the Lok Sabha in the Lalit Modi case, Sharma trashed her defence as "hogwash" and "apology of a defence."
ALSO READ: Speaker suspends 25 Congress members of LS for five days
Congress spokesperson and deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said, “Parliament is responsible for the logjam. The opposition is duty-bound to enforce accountability because the ruling party believes it's beyond parliamentary accountability.”
Sharma made it clear that until Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack the ministers, the Congress would continue with the protests. This implied that the very reason on which the 25 party MPs had been expelled in the first place would continue- the Congress benches intend to return to the Lok Sabha on Monday with bigger banners and possibly bigger posters.
ALSO READ: Black flags for PM if suspension of 25 MPs not withdrawn: Congress
With the Rajya Sabha again adjourning without transacting any business, there was speculation that the government might resort to adjourning Parliament sine die as it was clear that the Congress would not allow the house to function.
Meanwhile, tearing to shreds the "tear jeaker" that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attempted to unleash in her defence in the Lok Sabha in the Lalit Modi case, Sharma trashed her defence as "hogwash" and "apology of a defence."
ALSO READ: Speaker suspends 25 Congress members of LS for five days
Justifying her actions, Swaraj had questioned what Congress President Sonia Gandhi would have done had she been in her place; Congress rebutted the "humanitarian" plea by projecting photographs of Lalit Modi's wide travels in August 2014- the period his wife was supposedly fighting a life threatening disease.
On Swaraj's claims, Sharma said, “The basic question is: Should a minister clandestinely arrange, facilitate or make requests for travel documents to a fugitive, which were rejected by the British government earlier?”.
Sharma also raised the issue of the "voluntary" manner in which EAM Swaraj had intercede on Lalit Modi's behalf. "In which other cases of fugitive's relatives needing medical help has Swaraj acted similarly? "
