The National Herald case today had its impact on Parliament with a combative Sonia Gandhi leading members of her party and Trinamool Congress in protesting the alleged "vendetta politics", even as the government said it has nothing to do with the matter which related to judiciary.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business as Congress members were in the Well all the time, shouting slogans against the government, leading to repeated adjournments before the final one at minutes past 3 pm.
Trouble started in both the Houses soon after they assembled for the day at 11 am. In Lok Sabha, Trinamool joined Congress in the protest against "political vendetta", with Gandhi being actively involved in directing the protests.
"Down with dictatorship... Vendetta politics won't work," the Congress members shouted under Gandhi's guidance.
While no Congress member specified the issue over which they were agitating, their vociferous protests came a day after the Delhi High Court declined to give Sonia and Rahul any relief in the National Herald case, asking them to appear before the trial court.
The court today, however, allowed their exemption pleas for the day but asked them to appear in person on December 19.
In Rajya Sabha, after repeated adjournments, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said it is painful to see the "atmosphere of political vendetta" in the country where ruling party seems all out to make an "opposition-free India" for the last over one-and-a-half-years.
"During the election campaign NDA had given the slogan of 'Congree-free India'. I thought this is just an election manifesto and once the government is formed, it will work for development and poverty alleviation. But this government not only wants 'Congress-free India', it wants 'Opposition-free India', he said.
He said what is happening to the entire opposition whether it be Congress, BSP, SP, RJD, JDU, DMK or AIADMK was painful, citing how raids were conducted on Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on a day when he was stepping out of his house for his daughter's wedding, which was not cancelled despite this.
"What happened yesterday was no different from it as a TMC member's father who is owner of an Urdu paper was arrested," Azad said as the opposition shouted "shame-shame".
"There are two sets of law governing political parties- one for the ruling party and the other for the opposition," he said and added, "We need justice, equal justice".
Rejecting Azad's allegation, Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said "This government has not done any illegal action against anyone.... In case of Congress leaders, it is not the action of the government but that of the judiciary. ...Court has summoned them and not the government. Give your reply to them.
