NEW DELHI (TIP): The Rajya Sabha witnessed, February 9, repeated adjournments and was unable to function as the Opposition raised objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s remarks made against Dr. Manmohan Singh a day earlier. In the Lok Sabha too, the Congress staged a walkout during Zero Hour in protest against the chair’s ruling of not allowing its floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge from raising the party’s objection to Modi’s “raincoat” remark against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition parties were particularly agitated over the remarks the PM made with reference to former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Indira Gandhi, alleging Modi used “abusive” and “insulting” language. The members demanded an apology from the PM over his remarks. The House was first adjourned till noon and then till 2 pm.
Congress’ Anand Sharma said Rule 238 disallowed use of offensive expression during a debate. “Prime Minister yesterday insulted the memory of Indira Gandhi. He has dragged political debate to a new low… he was abusive… we will oppose him,” he said.
CPM leader Sitaram Yechury gave a notice under Rule 267 over the Prime Minister’s reference to late Communist leader Jyotirmoy Basu during his speech of Wednesday but the Chair rejected it.
The Congress was joined in by the CPM and JD(U) saying they were not given an opportunity to seek clarifications during the debate yesterday despite Chairman Hamid Ansari citing precedence and tradition of the House that gave members the right to seek such response after Prime Minister or a minister’s statement.
But it was not just the Congress members who were agitated but AIADMK counterparts also entered the well of the House demanding that Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao should discharge his Constitutional duty by swearing in VK Sasikala as Chief Minister without wasting any further time.
In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan ruled that the matter relating to the other House could not be raised amid noisy scene created by members of the treasury benches. Congress members first trooped into the Well raising slogans “Prime Minister mafi mango (PM should apologise)” and “Prime Minister shame, shame…” and then walked out of the House.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar was also heard saying the issue could not be raised in the Lok Sabha.
However, Kharge, before being cut by the Speaker, said, whatever Mr Modi has said about Dr Singh is not good for parliamentary democracy. He also noted that what the Prime Minister had said was an insult to the country.
Taking a dig at Manmohan, Modi had said he knew the art of taking bath wearing a raincoat as there were many scams during his government, but he remained untainted. Earlier, the ongoing power struggle in Tamil Nadu was also played out in the Lok Sabha with AIADMK members disrupting proceedings by raising slogans apparently supporting VK Sasikala as the next Chief Minister.
The Speaker asked them to raise the issue during Zero Hour and later adjourned the proceedings for nearly 20 minutes till 11.30 am.
BJP hits back, says pun, fun part of democracy: Even as the Congress clamored for an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for, what it called “ugly” and “unacceptable”, “raincoat” dig at his predecessor Manmohan Singh, the BJP escalated attack, asking the Opposition party to express regret for conduct in the Rajya Sabha yesterday and “absurd” and “cheap” language used by its leaders against the PM in the past.
The Congress, they said, was angry and upset because the Prime Minister had “shown it the mirror”. Also, as per BJP leaders, the Opposition had no moral right to preach about Parliamentary etiquette given the “absurd” and “cheap” words used by its top leaders – inside and outside the Parliament -against the Prime Minister.
“In the same Parliament they (Opposition) called him (the Prime Minister) ‘Hitler’, ‘Mussolini’, ‘Gaddafi’. The references were removed at our insistence. They have used meaningless phrases like ‘khoon ki dalali’ and ‘maut ka saudagar’ to describe him. It is a shame, they are giving ‘pravachan’ (sermons) to others now.
“They are not able to understand the reality and are thus creating problems. Why should the Prime Minister apologize,” questioned Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ananth Kumar.
On the contrary, as per BJP leaders, they should not just apologize to them but the entire country. “We have shown them the mirror, unmasked the Congress and they are now upset. The Prime Minister of India is an institution, respected not only in India, but worldwide,” they said.
Moreover, as per Prasad “pun, fun and repartee was very much a part of the Parliamentary democracy”. “Mild exchange of words is all part of healthy democracy. So why is the Congress worried,” he wondered while responding to the Congress’ anger.
Reminding Singh that he was the Prime Minister when “scams worth 12 lakh crore had taken place”, Prasad said he did not believe that words used by Singh to describe the demonetization scheme – “organized loot” and “legalized plunder” actually belonged to him. “We have observed him in Parliament in past 10 years. These are not his words. Rather, I feel sorry for him. He could not do anything to save the honor of his mentor (former PM Narsimha Rao), whose body was not even allowed to enter the AICC’ precincts,” Prasad said.
Cong to boycott PM over ‘insult’: Meanwhile, The Congress said, Feb 9, it will boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his jibe at predecessor Manmohan Singh and the “insult” he heaped on late Indira Gandhi, and that it would bring other Opposition parties too on board on the issue.
Addressing a press conference today, Deputy Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said the boycott will continue until the remaining half of the Budget Session starting March 9.
“The PM has written the first chapter of this story. We will write the last,” Sharma said in a threatening tone a day after PM Modi questioned Manmohan Singh’s Prime Minister ship under the UPA government wondering how he could remain untainted in a government full of scams.
Earlier, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi commented: “The PM has mastered the art of bathing with the rain coat on,” PM Modi had said triggering a walkout by Congress. Sharma today said Congress will boycott the PM, not listen to him but won’t assault the dignity of the Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he had lowered the dignity of his office by his “raincoat” jibe against Manmohan Singh in Parliament.
“The Prime Minister’s office is not an ordinary one. Great honor is associated with it. So, by targeting his predecessor in that manner the Prime minister has lowered the dignity of his office,” Rahul said, addressing an election rally here.
And the gentleman politician Shashi Tharoor, Member Parliament said, outside Parliament: “We are very-very disappointed by what the PM said on Wednesday. I do not think in the history of Indian parliamentary democracy, we have ever heard the PM insulting his predecessor in such a manner using bathroom analogy. This is simply not heard of”.