Modi's 'raincoat' jibe: Difference of opinion within Congress over Rajya Sabha walkout

Congress Party's walkout from Rajya Sabha over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech was not without difference of opinion.

Sources confirmed to WION that Janardhan Dwivedi, AK Antony, KR Rehman, Karan Singh and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh themselves were of the view that too much should not be made of the PM's barb and Congress should continue to sit in the house.

Sources said that an agitated Kapil Sibal, deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, P Chidambaram, BK Hariprasad and Ahmad Patel decided otherwise. They took an immediate call and left the House.

This was the reason why Manmohan Singh and Janardhan Dwivedi, Karan Singh and AK Antony were the last to leave the Rajya Sabha as they continued to sit in the House.

The former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had to go back to Manmohan Singh to ask him to leave the House as other members had already left.

Even after the walkout was done many Congress members were heard saying that PM's barb should have been downplayed. This section felt that purpose would have been served if they continued to sit and oppose the government in the House rather than giving PM full room to say what he likes.

PM Narendra Modi in the house had said that Manmohan Singh had made an art of taking bath with a raincoat on as he remained untainted despite all scandals around him. The Opposition felt that the Prime Minister had lowered the level of political discourse but BJP countered by saying that Congress too had called PM Hitler and Mussolini in the House. 

Sources within the Congress party feels that Modi's comment on Manmohan Singh will have a lasting impact on the functioning of both the Houses.