‘Political vendetta coming out of PMO’

The issue stalled proceedings in both Houses of Parliament, while BJP leaders both inside and outside Parliament countered Rahul’s claim.

“This is 100 per cent political vendetta coming out of the Prime Minister’s office,” charged Rahul adding, “I have full faith in judiciary. We will see at the end what comes out. Truth will come out.” Asked about the Congress using Parliament to threaten judiciary (by disruption), Rahul told reporters: “It is the other way round. Who is threatening judiciary? We all know.”

Meanwhile, the issue rocked both Houses of Parliament, with Congress lawmakers raising slogans against the government over “vendetta politics”. Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the country has “two laws” – one for the Opposition and another for the ruling dispensation. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the Congress member cannot raise the issue during Question Hour as it is against rules. Soon, Congress members rushed to the well, raising slogans like ‘we will not allow politics of repression’.

Even the Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business for the second day after similar scenes were witnessed. As Congress members kept shouting slogans in the Well of the House alleging “murder of democracy” they got support from the Trinamool Congress.

Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged, “Enforcement Directorate had shut the case. Subramanian Swamy and the government got it reopened.”  The Congress leader added, “We have no charges against the judiciary. It is not the fault of the court, but of this government, which changed the ED who reopened the case. So my charge is that on the direction of the government, the cases against all opposition leaders are being reopened, even if they are small cases.” Azad said, “Democracy is being murdered, so this is the best platform to raise the issue in the temple of democracy.” he said.

MoS for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi rejected the allegations, saying the National Herald issue is a legal matter and the Congress “should fight it out in court” instead of raking it up in Parliament.

 

Lending support to the Congress, TMC leader Derek O’Brien said Naqvi should not intervene and that every member of the House knows his and her responsibilities but wondered what one should do if “there is open political vendetta”. He said it is not the first time it is happening.

The government accused the Congress of using Parliament to “intimidate and silence” the judiciary after Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were not given relief by a court in the National Herald case and alleged that the Opposition party was practising “mobocracy.”  Naidu rejected Rahul’s claim and wondered if he was attacking former PM Manmohan Singh because the case was filed when the UPA was in power. 

Naidu told a press conference that Subramanian Swamy, a BJP leader who is the complainant in the case, was not in the party when he had lodged it. “Democracy is indeed in danger and there is indeed vendetta”, he said, accusing the Congress of taking “revenge” on people for its Lok Sabha poll defeat by trying to stall development by blocking Parliament.

Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy dared Rahul to give proof in Parliament on his allegations against the PMO. “We will ask Rahul Gandhi, if he has courage enough, if he has honesty enough, if he has standing as a leader of his political party, he should come to Parliament and give proof,” he said.