Why is Modi silent on Vyapam, asks Rahul Gandhi

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 23, 2015: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the Vyapam scam.

"More than 40 people have died in the Vyapam scam. One of your friends has also died. This is such a big scam and the PM is silent on this," Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament.

"Can’t he make a single comment on the scam? I don’t have any problem if he doesn’t speak. The more he remains silent, it is good for me."

"When people of India voted, they had immense faith in Modiji. Now, they are cursing themselves because their faith and confidence in the prime minister has been crushed," he added.

Question Hour in the Lok Sabha was washed out on Thursday as an aggressive Opposition stalled the proceedings over the Lalit Modi controversy.

As soon as the House assembled and took up the Question Hour, opposition Congress, Indian political party Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Left members rushed to the Well raising slogans, forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till noon.

Seeking to counter the opposition attack, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Whip Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Chair about his notice of breach of privilege against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra.

He alleged that Vadra has demeaned parliamentarians in his Facebook post. "He cannot do that...nobody can do that," Meghwal shouted amid din.

There were protests when the Speaker informed that she had rejected the notices of adjournment moved by Mallikarjun Kharge, M Veerapa Moily and K C Venugopal (all Congress) and N K Premchandran (RSP) on the controversy allegedly involving the former IPL chief and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Mahajan also said similar notices by Mohd Salim, S P Dutta and M B Rajesh (all CPI-M) on the Vyapam scam, Dharmendra Yadav (SP) on farmers’ plight and A Sampath (CPI-M) on caste census have also been rejected.

Sporting a black ribbon on his right arm, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was seen on the second row of opposition benches.

Rajya Sabha adjourns twice after verbal duel between Opposition, ruling BJP

Heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches in the Rajya Sabha over modalities for a discussion on the Lalit Modi controversy, on Thursday forced two adjournments of the House without transacting any business.

While opposition led by Congress pressed for suspension of business to discuss the issue and seek the resignation of External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj for allegedly trying to help the controversial former IPL head Lalit Modi, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley rebutted it saying the notice given by Anand Sharma (Congress) only sought a discussion without any condition or caveat like resignation of any minister.

The treasury benches ruled out the resignation of any minister and said the government was ready for discussion on the issue, while the Opposition demanded that Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje should quit on the issue. They also sought resignation of Chief Minister of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Vyapam scam.

The ruckus led to adjournment of the House till noon for the first time, and again till 2 PM as similar scenes continued.

 

Courtesy: Indiatoday