NEW DELHI -- While both houses of parliament quickly descended into chaos on the second day of the monsoon session, the Modi government attacked the opposition for disrupting parliament due to lack of substantive arguments, and reiterated that Bharatiya Janata Party leaders had not broken any laws to warrant an investigation or resignation.
"The opposition is weak on arguments but strong on disruption," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the media on Wednesday afternoon.
Over the past two days, the BJP has offered a discussion on the Lalit Modi scandal and the Vyapam scam, but the opposition has demanded resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
"Please start the discussion right now," Jaitley, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, said on Wednesday morning. "Which law has Sushma Swaraj violated."
Jaitley was shouted down for suggesting that Vyapam is a state issue which should not be discussed in parliament.
"This is not a state issue. This is a national issue," retorted Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.
Sitaram Yechuri, lawmaker from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said that people connected to the scam had died outside the state. "The job of the parliament is to make the government accountable," he said. "A discussion is not the substitute of an investigation."
On Wednesday morning, Swaraj said that she will disclose the name of a senior Congress Party leader who allegedly pressured her to give a diplomatic passport to an accused in the coal scam.
READ: Monsoon Session Day 1 - Congress Party Causes Repeated Adjournments Over Lalit Modi Scandal
Both reconvened at 12:00 pm. But the Rajya Sabha was adjourned five minutes after the proceedings commenced. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan threatened "disciplinary action," while calling on lawmakers to remove their placards and black armbands.
The Rajya Sabha was reconvened at 2:00 only to be adjourned a few minutes later as Congress Party leaders continued their demands for resignations of BJP top leaders.
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"The opposition is weak on arguments but strong on disruption," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the media on Wednesday afternoon.
Over the past two days, the BJP has offered a discussion on the Lalit Modi scandal and the Vyapam scam, but the opposition has demanded resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
"Please start the discussion right now," Jaitley, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, said on Wednesday morning. "Which law has Sushma Swaraj violated."
Jaitley was shouted down for suggesting that Vyapam is a state issue which should not be discussed in parliament.
"This is not a state issue. This is a national issue," retorted Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.
Sitaram Yechuri, lawmaker from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said that people connected to the scam had died outside the state. "The job of the parliament is to make the government accountable," he said. "A discussion is not the substitute of an investigation."
On Wednesday morning, Swaraj said that she will disclose the name of a senior Congress Party leader who allegedly pressured her to give a diplomatic passport to an accused in the coal scam.
A senior Congress leader was pressing me hard to give diplomatic passport to the Coal Scam accused Santosh Bagrodia.@ANI_news
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 22, 2015I will disclose name of the leader on the floor of the House.@imTejasBarot
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 22, 2015READ: Monsoon Session Day 1 - Congress Party Causes Repeated Adjournments Over Lalit Modi Scandal
Both reconvened at 12:00 pm. But the Rajya Sabha was adjourned five minutes after the proceedings commenced. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan threatened "disciplinary action," while calling on lawmakers to remove their placards and black armbands.
The Rajya Sabha was reconvened at 2:00 only to be adjourned a few minutes later as Congress Party leaders continued their demands for resignations of BJP top leaders.
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