The parties included Nationalist Congress Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Kerala Congress. Thereafter addressing reporters outside Parliament, Rahul hit at the silence of the PM, saying Modi’s “credibility is on the decline” while at the same time asserting external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s act was a clear “criminal act”.
The disruptions by the Congress in both Houses again caused a washout of proceedings, especially after the Speaker in the Lok Sabha allowed a privilege notice by a BJP member against Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra on allegations that he had insulted parliamentarians.
In keeping with its stance, the Congress today refused to take part in an all-party meeting called by Arun Jaitley to seek a way out of the present impasse in Parliament.
Today's interaction was one of the first direct meetings that Rahul Gandhi held with other opposition parties; Lok Sabha leader of the Congress Mallikarjun Kharge was present alongwith Jyotiraditya Scindia. Significantly so, since main Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha like the Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress have made amply clear that they are not interested in seeking Swaraj's resignation; it was imperative for the Congress to strategise and bolster its ranks with those it had on board.
Later AAP's Bhagwant Mann said, "We discussed how the opposition can be united and how we can raise lung power. If the opposition is united and strong then the government will be alert." The AAP unit in Delhi has on a consistent basis been demanding action against Swaraj and against the Rajasthan and MP chief ministers.
Meanwhile, Congress Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, made clear why the Congress refused to take part in the meeting called Leader of the house in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley. "The solution to the deadlock in Parliament cannot be found in a meeting, but in action against a Union minister and two chief ministers,"
Azad dismissed suggestions that the Opposition was not on the same page as the Congress, saying "some parties have rendered vociferous vocal support, others silent support but all Opposition parties have common intentions". In the upper house, he assured all parties including the SP, BSP, JD(U), and Left had spoken out demanding resignations of the concerned BJP ministers.
Realising that the ruling BJP intended to engage in a tit -for -tat strategy to thwart its attack, coughing up charges against Congress chief ministers, the Congress today attempted to raise the bar, making it amply clear that it was "not a personal vendetta or fight between the Congress and the BJP but a fight of principles, against those who had acted against national interest."
Citing both Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje as having committed, "acts of treason", Azad speaking to reporters said, "The BJP should have acted suo motu against its Union minister and chief ministers for acting against national interest. How different is their conduct from those wanted criminals who commit anti- national activities?"
Later in the day Rahul Gandhi was in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu where he took the opportunity to hit out PM Modi again saying, "Leaders are not listening to the voice of people as they believe they have the power and take all the decisions."
