The Congress on Sunday indicated that the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning Tuesday may be paralysed if the Government did not concede to the Opposition’s demand to sack Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the lalitgate scandal, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the Vyapam scam.
Briefing the media at a special AICC briefing, leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that running of Parliament and passage of important Bills during the Monsoon Session will be “easier” if the BJP took action against these leaders. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi last week stated that his party will keep the demands for removal of the three leaders (Sushma, Raje and Chouhan) during the Monsoon Session.
“The minimum action sought by us is removal of all three as well as sacking of two Ministers of Maharashtra who are facing charges of committing gross irregularities,” Azad said.
The senior Congress leader said he hoped that the way the top leadership of the BJP has summoned Chief Ministers of both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, resignations will be sought from them.
“I am hopeful that when the Parliament session starts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will start by saying that those involved or those on whom charges have been leveled in lalitgate as well as MP Chief Minister under whose leadership in the State dozens of witnesses have been killed and thousands have got degrees in the Vyapam scandal, have to go,” he said.
Terming the Government “thick skinned”, Azad said that this is the first time since Independence where the Government has not taken any action despite the fact that Ministers and Chief Ministers are involved in cases and agitations are going on all over the country against it.
“During our tenure, even on small allegations, there were demands for resignations of the Ministers from the Opposition and within 24 hours either the Ministers used to give their resignation themselves or the leadership asked them to do so. In Independent India, we are seeing such a thick-skinned Government for the first time,” he said.
Noting that the smooth running of Parliament is not the responsibility of the Opposition alone, Azad said that the Congress believes that Parliament should pass laws which are beneficial for the people. “If the BJP takes action in one or two days, in my opinion running of Parliament and passing of Bills will be easier. It will also be an opportunity for making things right for both the BJP's leadership and its image which has been dented in their 15-month rule,” he said.
Azad said that it was up to Prime Minister Modi to decide whether the Monsoon Session of Parliament will run or not. On the pending GST Bill, Azad said that Congress has not given any dissent note and it was the Congress's Bill and it is not against it.