New Delhi: Day Two of the Monsoon session of Parliament was a washout. The day was full of political drama with the government and the Congress-led opposition at loggerheads over Lalit Modi row and Vyapam scam.
The BJP on its part held a Parliamentary board meeting before the second day of the session. According to sources, BJP president Amit Shah told MPs to vehemently counter opposition’s “misinformation campaign” on all issues.
While External Affairs Minister on Wednesday morning hit back at the Congress party, alleging that its senior leader tried to influence her for the diplomatic passport of a coal scam accused, the opposition party appeared to be on back foot as it called off a silent protest by party president Sonia Gandhi and Vice president Rahul Gandhi failing to reach a consensus.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day following a stormy second day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said he will speak in Lok Sabha, while avoiding answering further queries from the media.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley lashed out at the Opposition, saying External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is willing to respond to opposition attack on Lalit Modi row immediately. However, Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said his party wants discussion, but only after Sushma Swaraj resigns. In the meanwhile, the Lok Sabha adjourned for the day without any business on the second day of the Monsoon Session.
BJP accuses Congress of corruption in Uttarkand
To counter punch the Congress, which is demanding the resignations of three BJP Leaders, the BJP claimed it has accessed a sting that establishes a scam in Uttarakhand, where the Congress is in power with Harish Rawat as Chief Minister. The BJP says that the sting shows the Chief Minister’s personal secretary negotiating bribes for changes to the state’s policy on the sale of alcohol.
Mr Rawat must resign immediately, said the BJP’s Nirmala Sitharaman. “The Uttarakhand Chief Minister and his Personal Secretary (PS) were involved in a liquor scam and loot during Uttarakhand floods,” she said, referring to the flashfloods which lashed the hill state in 2013, killing close to 6,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to the region’s famous temples stranded.
“We need to check if the sting is authentic,” said Mr Rawat. He also said, “The cabinet sets the liquor policy and we have not given any license to private players. There is no change in the liquor license policy. When we have not changed the policy, how can they (BJP) accuse us?”
