New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday stepped up protests disrupting proceedings for the second day as Rahul Gandhi accused the PMO of adopting “100 per cent pure political vendetta” in the National Herald case but the government hit back saying Parliament was being used to threaten judiciary.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that a Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED), who had “rightly” decided to close the Herald case, was transferred and a new chief appointed to “reopen” the case.
While the upper house was adjourned for the second day without transaction of any business due to slogan shouting by Congress members, the Lok Sabha saw one adjournment and a short discussion on the issue that saw trading of charges between the two sides.
However, the lower house functioned, notwithstanding the continuous shouting of slogans by Congress members before it was also forced to be adjourned for the day about an hour before schedule.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who is an accused in the Herald case along with his mother Sonia Gandhi and four others, upped the ante telling reporters the case is “One hundred per cent political vendetta. Pure political vendetta coming out of PMO. It is their way of doing politics. Pure 100 per cent vendetta”.
“I have full faith in judiciary. We will see at the end what comes out. Truth will come out.”
Asked about Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu’s charge that Congress was using Parliament to threaten judiciary by disruptions, he said, “It is the other way round. Who is threatening judiciary, we all know.”
Naidu, who also addressed a press conference, accused the Congress of using Parliament to “intimidate and silence” the judiciary after the Gandhis were not given relief by court in the Herald case.
He alleged that the party was practising “mobocracy” which was posing a “danger to democracy” by making Parliament “dysfunctional”. Naidu rejected Rahul’s contention that the case was “100 per cent vendetta coming out of the PMO” and wondered if he was attacking former prime minister Manmohan Singh because the case was filed when the UPA was in power. He said Subramanian Swamy, who is the complainant in the case, was not in BJP when he had lodged it. “Congress is thinking that it is hurting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But it is wrong because it is hurting India,” Naidu said.
“How is Parliament involved if some people (Gandhis) have been summoned by a court? Is this the job of Parliament? You want to silence the judiciary. You want to intimidate the judiciary. You are telling judiciary how dare you summon us,” he said.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Naidu’s deputy, dared Rahul to give proof in Parliament on his allegations against the PMO. “We will ask Rahul Gandhi, if he has courage enough, if he has honesty enough, if he has standing as a leader of his political party, he should come to Parliament and give proof…,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress found support from the TMC as it accused the government in the Lok Sabha of “repressing” opposition leaders, but the government hit back saying Congress was using Parliament to send a warning to the judiciary in the National Herald case. Citing corruption cases against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan, party leader Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the government over its “vendetta politics”, claiming that it applied one set of laws against its leaders and another for those from BJP. He, however, made no reference to the National Herald case, seen as a trigger for the party’s protests in Parliament since yesterday after the High Court refused to give Sonia and Rahul Gandhi any relief. (PTI)
Kharge raised the issue during the Zero Hour after Congress members kept up their protests in the Well for the second day today, accusing the Narendra Modi government of targeting those who are not in agreement with its policies.
“There are two laws in this country — one for the opposition and another for the government. When we raised the issue of corruption involving Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh chief ministers, no action was taken.
“But you raided the premises of our Gujarat leader Shankarsinh Vaghela. When a wedding was taking place in the house of Virbharda Singh, CBI raided his house. Nothing came out of this and then ED lodged a case against him. False CBI cases are being registered in Haryana but no action taken against BJP chief ministers involved in scams,” he said.
He also raised the reported meeting of a Union Minister with a Muzaffarnagar riot accused in jail and his assurance of support to them.
“You are adopting the politics of revenge, repression and tyranny against opposition leaders. This is happening not only with us but others like the TMC too. If people do not agree with you, then you try to harass them,” Kharge said amid support from TMC members.
Seeking to dispel the impression that Congress was upset over the National Herald case, he said “we are not against judiciary. We are protesting against your policies of repression.”
Rebutting strongly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu raked up the arrest of BJP president Amit Shah and also enquiries against Modi during the UPA tenure and accused Congress of trying to see that the government fails.
“A judicial order has come,” he said, referring to the National Herald case. “You are giving a warning to judiciary through Parliament. This is not in national interest.”
Both Sonia and Rahul were present in the House and the Congress chief was seen offering some suggestions to Kharge when he was speaking.
The Prime Minister was present in the House for most of the Question Hour when Congress members stormed the Well but left before the Zero Hour at 12 pm. (More) PTI KR SPG ADS ANZ NKD AMR AKK VSC 12091752
