New Delhi: The much-awaited debate on the Lalit Modi issue was conducted amid shouting and sloganeering by both the Congress and the Treasury benches in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Replying for the government to the adjournment motion moved by Congress Lok Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge, finance minister Arun Jaitley ridiculed the Congress-led Opposition, saying: “Khoda pahar, nikla chuha (They have dug a mountain, but a rat came out)."
Dismissing the charges against Ms Swaraj, the minister claimed the allegations levelled by Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are completely baseless and the government rejects them.
In his newly combative avatar, Mr Rahul Gandhi, launched a tirade against Ms Swaraj, saying, “Yesterday she held my hand and asked Beta, why are you so angry with me? I told Sushmaji... I’m not angry with you. I am with the truth.”
“The moment I said that, Sushmaji lowered her eyes,” Mr Gandhi said facing Ms Swaraj.
Mr Jaitely, in an all-out effort to back Ms Swaraj, said Mr Lalit Modi was not a “fugitive” from the law when Ms Swaraj had spoken to the British authorities on his travel papers, and became so only on August 5 when the present government obtained a warrant from a Mumbai court.
Incidentally, the Trinamul kept equidistance from the Congress and BJP and said it would comment after hearing the Centre’s stand.
