NEW DELHI, July 21:
Countering Congress’ attack as the monsoon session of Parliament commenced today, BJP said it was ready for discussion on all issues including on “damaad (son-in-law) and Quatrocchi”, besides the “scams” in Congress-ruled states.
“The Government is willing to discuss everything. We have nothing to hide, nothing to worry,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.
He said that many BJP MPs have given notices for discussion on scams in Congress-ruled states.
His deputy Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi took on the Congress saying that they are ready for discussion on all issues but the opposition party “wants only disruption”.
“This is nothing more than the noise of skeletons of Congress’ corruption. We are ready to discuss pending issues from ‘damaad’ to Quattrocchi,” he said referring to the controversial land deals of Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and the Bofors scam.
The ruling alliance was ready to discuss “Kerala fodder scam, Goa watergate project scam, Uttarkhand flood scam, Himachal Pradesh steel scam,” he said.
Stressing that BJP MPs have given notices for discussion on these “scams”, Naqvi said the Government was prepared with its reply to Congress’ charges.
“This out of tune chorus of dishonest Congress will utterly fail. As far as passage of bills is concerned, they are not BJP’s bills but meant for the countrymen and the poor,” he said.
The Government and main opposition Congress have locked horns over the controversies surrounding Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje on Lalit Modi issue and Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Vyapam scam, setting the stage for confrontation in Parliament.
While Congress has made it clear that it will not allow Parliament to function unless the BJP leaders facing allegations quit, the Government has asserted that there will be no resignations and that it will not give in to any ultimatum.
Talking about Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s comments that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 56-inch chest will be reduced to 5.6 inches, Naidu said, “It is really absurd and Congress should rather ponder why their number has come down to just 44 MPs”.
Taking on Rahul over his comments that Congress will not allow even an inch of land to be taken by the Government, the senior Minister said, “It means that they are not going to allow development of this country and this is not acceptable”.
He added that at yesterday’s all-party meeting, the overwhelming view of parties except Congress was that Parliament should function.
“Are we going to discuss state related issues? That is to be discussed and decided,” he said.
When asked if he thinks that onus to run the House is also on opposition, he shot back asking whether the House means only ruling party.
“Everybody has a responsibility to run Parliament,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma has given a notice to discuss the Lalit Modi controversy. (PTI)
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