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Sushma Swaraj calls opposition for debate in Parliament

by IBNS 12 Aug 2015, 12:15 pm

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IBNS) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday dared the opposition to come to a debate on the controversy that links her to tainted cricket tycoon Lalit Modi and has left Parliament virtually paralysed.

The Congress-led opposition has been doggedly demanding Swaraj's resignation on the ground that she helped out Lalit Modi to get travel documents in the UK.

However, the Congress demanded that the Prime Minister must be present when Swaraj makes her statement.

The Congress has  asked that the House suspend all scheduled business to discuss the charges against the External Affairs Minister, who urged Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to sanction the request or adjournment motion.


The Monsoon session of Parliament ends tomorrow without having been able to transact any business  because of unrelenting disruptions by the Congress. The situation has kept pending key legislations,  including the landmark tax refor.

The situation has stalled key legislations, including the landmark tax reforms, that the government wants to push through.


As continuous ruckus  forced perennial disruption in Parliamentary business on each day since the monsoon session started on July 21, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan last week suspended 25 of the Congress members.

 

The government has said that if a debate begins, the PM will make a statement on the scandals that have enveloped  Swaraj and two other top BJP leaders, Chief Ministesr Vasundhara Raje  and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

 Swaraj told the Lok Sabha last week that when she told the UK government last year that she did not have any objections to Lalit Modi being allowed to accompany his sick wife to Portugal and it was done  "on humanitarian grounds" for a cancer patient who has broken no laws.