In Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi tears into Modi over black money and Pakistan
New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha on Wednesday over the issue of black money and JNU.
Gandhi said Modiji brought a 'Fair and Lovely Yojna' to convert black money into white and further blamed him of destroying UPA's work against insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and terrorism.
Here are the live updates:
5:30 pm: On India-Pakistan relations, Gandhi says that Pakistan sent trained killers into the heart of Mumbai, who killed and butchered 200 people.
“Our government begged the then CM of Gujarat, not to go to Mumbai. And he went there and grabbed his headlines while our people died,” says Gandhi.
“It is the work in J&K that the UPA did, that makes us proud. By the end we had broken the back of insurgency. But what does the PM do? He decides to have a cup of tea with Nawaz Sharif. PM destroyed our work in J&K when he went to meet Pakistan PM Nawaz, because he thinks only his opinion matters. He did not consult the country's able bureaucrats and experts. He disrespected the flag and destroyed the conversations with the country's citizens. PM just has to listen to his country, listen to Rajnath, Smriti, Sushma, listen to your MPs. We are not your enemies, listen to us as well, we don't hate you. Just give the people the dignity of their word,” says Rahul.
5:25 pm: On the Naga Peace Accord, Gandhi says, “PM said that he'd solved the Nagaland crisis. Our CMs had not briefed us about anything, so we called them and they said they hadn't heard anything of the sort. Even the Home Minister had no idea about this. Did the Home Minister know about the accord? Did the Naga CM know about the accord? And where has it gone now? Gone with the wind?”
5:20 pm: Gandhi says, “You have been taught by your RSS teachers that there's only one truth in the universe - your own. That nobody's opinion matters. PM can't run the country based on his own opinion. Country is not the PM, and PM is not the country.”
5:15 pm: On JNU row, Gandhi said the students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar gave a 20-minute speech on the campus, in which he never said a word against the country, and still has been put in jail.
“40 per cent students of JNU, their parents income is less than Rs 6,000. Why are you behind JNU? Because they are poor, weak, Dalits and Tribals. You want them to stay behind? We will not let this happen. You will not be able to crush JNU or the poor of the country. I want to speak a little bit about religion. Tell me, which holy book says that we should thrash our teachers. Why were JNU teachers, students and media beaten outside the Patiala House courts? And when they were, why did your government not even say a word?” says Gandhi.
5:10 pm: There's Modi Ji 'Fair and Lovely Yojna', kale dhan to kaise gora banaya jaye (How to convert black money into white), says Gandhi.
"Modi ji had promised employment. When you ask people have they been given employment, nobody is raising their hands. Modi ji said I have not seen a scheme as bad as MGNREGA. He said it is a failed scheme and it has destroyed the nation but I will not remove it so people can see UPA's mistake. But Arun Jaitley came to me and said that it's a very good scheme. I told him, why don't you say this to your boss. When money was allotted to MGNREGA, I closed my eyes and thought it was Chidambaram presenting Budget'," says Rahul Gandhi.
5:00 pm: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacks Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha over the issue of black money. "Country is not the PM, and PM is not the country," says Gandhi.
3.35 pm: "We have no holy cows to be protect," says Arun Jaitley on Aircel-Maxis case.
3.30 pm: "Allegation that the probe is slow is incorrect. If in any scam, a person is found connected or cornered, no one will be spared," says Jaitley.
3.22 pm: Arun Jaitley informed the Lok Sabha that the CBI had already filed a chargesheet in the matter and the Aircel-Maxis case would now proceed to trial. "As result of series of raid conducted by Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department, lot of incriminating things have been seized," informed Jaitley.
3.20 pm: Cannot disclose details of the Aircel-Maxis deal case, says Arun Jaitley.
3.15 pm: Guilty will be punished, says Arun Jaitley in LS on Aircel-Maxis case.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament on Wednesday. (Photo: Video grab)
1.07 pm: Lok Sabha takes up debate on Aircel-Maxis issue amid loud protests from Congress MPs who said that it is not on the agenda.
1.05 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid ruckus.
11.50 am: Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till noon following uproar by AIADMK MPs on Chidambaram issue. The Congress party members, meanwhile, protested over alleged Gujarat land scam.
11.30 am: Amid protests, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told Rajya Sabha that there should be a inquiry in the Gujarat land issue involving Chief Minister Anandiben Patel's daughter.
11.10 am: "We are ready for discussion on Karti Chidambaram issue, AIADMK should give notice," says MA Naqvi in Rajya Sabha.
11.00 am: AIADMK members continue protest against Karti Chidambaram in Rajya Sabha.
Read: Ready for discussion over Chidambaram issue: BJP
In a major revelation on Tuesday that has the potential to spark a fresh political row and disrupt the functioning of the Parliament, Mani claimed that he did not draft the second affidavit and had been ordered to sign the file in the Ishrat Jahan case. His claims came days after former home secretary G.K. Pillai alleged that Chidambaram bypassed him and rewrote the second affidavit submitted to a court in this connection.
As soon as the House met on Wednesday, AIADMK MPs trooped into the Well of Lok Sabha shouting slogans and demanded action from the government. Amid the din, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the government has no problem in discussing the matter in any manner and also take necessary action.
AIADMK members were earlier raising slogans like 'NDA sarkar take action' and displaying copies of a newspaper which has claimed that Karti has invested in real estate in various countries, as per investigations by Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax authorities during searches at his premises.
Protesting against the Speaker's decision to allow discussion on the matter, Congress members rushed into the Well. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge wondered how can it be allowed.
The Congress members were heard shouting 'we want privilege motion'. Congress and other party members have given notices for privilege motion against HRD Minister Smriti Irani for allegedly misleading the House.
In response, Mahajan said, "I want to make it clear that there is a procedure (related to privilege motion notice)".
Left members were also seen vociferously demanding something which could not be heard amid the din. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House.
