BJP today accused Congress of being "devoid of logic and facts" amid the Opposition protest in Parliament against the demonetisation move, even as Congress stuck to its demand of an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
"(Even after the presence of Prime Minister in the House today), the Congress party came to the Well and did not allow the discussion on the important issue. The Congress has neither fact nor logic. The party is badly stuck in its own web of cleverness," Union Minister Mukhtaar Abbas Naqvi said outside the Parliament.
Both the parties got into a verbal duel with BJP saying that Congress used to get "hit wicket" every day when it was in government, and now in Opposition were delivering "no ball", prompting Congress to allege that the Prime Minister wanted to play in a field with "no umpire or players".
"Jab yeh sarkar main thay toh har din yeh hit wicket hote thay, aur jab vipaksh main hain toh har ball no ball kar rahe hain (when they were in government, they used to get 'hit wicket' every day and when in Opposition, they are serving every ball as 'no ball'," Naqvi said.
Reacting to the comments, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said until Modi apologised for his alleged comment that 'Opposition stands with black money holders', the Oppostion would not allow the discussion in the Parliament.
"The language the Prime Minister has used outside the Parliament saying Opposition stands with black money holders, ..We had already said that until he apologise inside the House, then only the House can function further.
"The House does not need a certificate of honesty from the Prime Minister. Modi wants to play game, when there is no umpire in the field nor any players," he said.
Meanwhile, Naqvi reiterated that the government was ready for discussion on demonetisation for "any number of days the Opposition wants".
He alleged that the Opposition was "continuously" trying to create ruckus and interrupt the House because they have "neither any fact nor logic".
"The Congress is struggling with brankruptcy of logic and creating an image of the party that it was pained due to demonetisation...In fact it is pained due to a hit on black money holders...The party has been finding new excuses every day," he said.
On the Opposition demand of Modi's apology in the House, the Union Minister said, "We want to know why should the Prime Minister apologise? Because the 'Kubers' of black money have become poor? Those who were corrupt and enjoyed a free run during Congress regime have been destroyed (post demonetisation). Or is it because the poor are going to be happy due to the move?"
"We think the Congress is somewhere confused or is deliberately trying to confuse the country," he said.
Naqvi added it was Congress which needed to apologise for "committing the sin of depriving the poor the light of development".
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Meanwhile, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia wondered why the government was shying away from holding a debate under Rule 56, which entailed voting, when it had majority in the Lok Sabha.
