Slamming the Government in the Rajya Sabha over issues like weak foreign policy in the wake of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh’s death in Pakistan and Chinese incursion besides corruption, the BJP on Thursday staged a walk out before the Finance Bill 2013 saying the party was dissatisfied with the moral standards of the ruling combine.
Coming down heavily on the Government, leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said, “This Government had inherited an Indian dream. It has converted it into a nightmare. This is what people of India feel.”
Given this scenario, his party was not ready to support the Government but “we do not want to obstruct the financial Bills so we walk out,” the BJP leader said as the Finance and Railway Bills were taken up.
Targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of corruption, Jaitley charged the Government with subverting institutions and said the needle of suspicion points to the Prime Minister in the coal scam investigations, as he was the Coal Minister when the coal block allocations were made.
Jaitley said this was the first time the investigating agency shared its reports with the possible suspects in the coal block scam. “These are contradictions on the eve of the winding up of the Raj, it is very clear today,” he said as BJP members raised slogans like “shame, shame.”
As regards subverting every institution, Jaitley said the JPC is giving a clean chit to the accused and guilty, and ruling party by its mere strength in the panel has “politicised the Parliamentary probe so that truth does not come out.”
Pulling the up the Government on the ongoing face-off between India and China in ladakh, the BJP leader said the Government was not able to understand the situation as “no reaction was coming up.”
Condemning the killing of Sarabjit Singh, Jaitley said, “Today is a day of sadness, regret and anguish. I am sure the whole Parliament will raise its voice unanimously.” He then criticised the government’s foreign policy and said, “It is a sample of how our tottering Government has turned coward.”
Satish Chandra Mishra (BSP) said it was unfortunate that discussions were held on various issues outside the House and not inside. Condemning the killing of Sarabjit Singh, he urged Parliament to condemn it. His party, however, supported the Finance and Railway Bills.
Tapan Kumar Sen (CPI-M) also attacked the Government and asked it to take serious and pro-active initiative keeping the Indian interests fully protective regarding the Chinese incursion.
Criticising the Prime Minister’s remarks that “money did not grow on trees,” Sen questioned “in whose kitchen gardens these lakhs and crores of rupees are growing, can you tell usIJ” His party then walked out on the Bills.
Samajwadi Party charged the Government of being “weak” in its response on issues like Chinese incursion and Sarabjit’s killing and asked the Prime Minister to speak up, Naresh Aggarwal(SP) said.
Shivanand Tiwari (JD-U) said corruption in the government has “demoralised” the country and slammed law Minister Ashwini for his act of perusing the status report of CBI on coal scam.
T Siva (DMK) criticised the Government over the 2G issue saying the JPC probing the issue has not acted in a proper manner and rued that the Chairman of the Committee did not give an opportunity to those (former Telecom Minister A Raja) to depose before panel.
V Maitreyan (AIADMK) charged the Government of being a silent spectator to “cold-blooded murder” of Sarabjit, Chinese incursion into Indian territory and beheading of Indian soldiers by Pakistan.