After Rawat, BJP levels corruption, tax evasion charges against HP CM, takes on Vadra
The Opposition-Government hostilities took a fiercer turn on Thursday, as BJP and Congress took on each other with scams, posters, vitriol and even a Facebook post.
While the BJP gave a privilege notice in Lok Sabha against a Facebook post by Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra saying he had criticised the functioning of Parliament, outside the House Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Parliament begins and so do their petty diversionary political tactics.... People of India are not fool. Regret to see India led by such so-called leaders!!" Vadra had said.
Later, responding to comments on his post, he said "we need to win over this kind of dictatorship and intrusion in a democratic India. Have nothing to hide, so will fight this till they stop falsely accusing me."
When BJP members raised the issue in the House, Sonia Gandhi was seen shaking her head in disapproval. The Congress members raised the pitch of their slogan-shouting.
In his privilege notice, Party's chief whip Arjun Meghwal said Vadra's comments were a case of breach of privilege and should be referred to the Privileges Committee. The BJP is arguing that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's remarks against parliamentarians had also sparked off protests in the House and led to a debate.
While this has peeved the Congress further, Rahul Gandhi's carping attack on the Prime Minister has left the BJP infuriated. Gandhi questioned the Prime Minister's silence on Vyapam scam and the Lalit Modi issue and said his popularity was eroding.
"The PM is not just the PM of BJP, he is the PM of the country. The people of the country want to know what the PM is thinking," he said.
A senior minister said Rahul's comments had further narrowed the scope for any let up in the face off between the two sides. The belligerence was seen on both sides. An all-party meeting called by finance minister Arun Jaitley was cancelled as Congress leaders refused to turn up for it.
Meanwhile, BJP continued with its campaign of taking up graft charges against Congress chief ministers. Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh of accepting bribe from a private firm to buy a farm house in Mehrauli and of evading taxes through the aid of LIC agent Anand Chauhan. He alleged that the Congress leader received kickbacks from tidal infrastructure firm Venture Energy & Technology Pvt. Ltd.
"This company was allotted time to complete the tidal infrastructure contract granted to the firm. However, the company failed to complete the work in the allotted duration. The company's promoter V Chandrashekhar requested for renewal of the contract. The Himachal Pradesh government declined to renew the contract for years.... But days before the election, the chief minister renewed the contract and provided a four-year extension to the firm," Prasad said. Further, he said, Chandrashekhar provided an unsecured loan to Singh's wife Pratibha Singh.
In the state, Singh has denied the charges saying it was political vendetta.
Corrupt Congress CM
BJP continued with its campaign of taking up graft charges against Congress chief ministers. Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh of accepting bribe from a private firm to buy a farm house in Mehrauli and of evading taxes through the aid of LIC agent Anand Chauhan. He alleged that the Congress leader received kickbacks from tidal infrastructure firm Venture Energy & Technology Pvt. Ltd.
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