Will Not Budge Till BJP Leaders Resign, Says Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi:  Rahul Gandhi today defended his party’s decision to block Parliament from functioning, stating, “We have said there have to be resignations before any discussion.” Mr Gandhi is No 2 in the Congress, which is demanding the urgent removal of three top BJP leaders linked to major controversies.

 

The government has said it is willing to debate with the opposition, but has rejected the calls for the resignations of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

 
The stand-off between the opposition and the government has meant the first two days of Parliament’s 21-day monsoon session have been squandered with noisy disruptions forcing adjournments.

 

Crucial legislation, including the major tax reform of the National Goods and Sales Tax, are pending.

 

“Our advice to the PM is this – your credibility is being eroded, listen to the people’s concern. Answer them by speaking on the controversies,” said Mr Gandhi, who led the campaign for the Congress in last year’s election as the party collected its worst-ever result.

 

The Congress says that Mrs Swaraj and Ms Raje should be removed for “Lalit-Gate”: extending favours to tainted cricket tycoon Lalit Modi, wanted in India in multiple cases of corruption and tax evasion. The Left has backed that demand, along with another for the removal of Mr Chouhan, whose government in Madhya Pradesh is engulfed in the Vyapam scam, which saw bribes being paid for admission to colleges and state jobs.

 

Mrs Swaraj has said she is keen to make a statement on her help to Lalit Modi, but the opposition has thwarted the opportunity for a discussion.

 

The government has said the controversies around Chief Ministers Chouhan and Raje cannot be discussed in Parliament because they are state issues. That stand has been rejected firmly by opposition leaders like Mayawati and Sitaram Yechury.