The Rajya Sabha was adjourned multiple times on Monday after it witnessed uproar by the Congress MPs, who accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making misleading remarks during an election rally against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland chopper bribery case.
The Congress MPs demanded an apology from Mr. Modi and asked for an explanation for his remarks that an Italian court had named Ms. Gandhi in the case.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government was using the issue to target Ms. Gandhi and malign the party leadership ahead of the polls. While Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had not named any UPA leader in his reply during the discussions on AgustaWestland, how could Mr. Modi make such remarks outside the House, he asked.
Following slogan shouting by the Congress MPs, the House was adjourned for the day close to quarter past three. Congress MP Anand Sharma gave a notice under Rule 267 to suspend business to take up the issue for discussion. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien rejected it saying the Chair cannot take cognisance of what was said outside the House.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Prime Minister did not say anything new. “It was an election rally speech..., but you [Congress] want to make a big deal out of nothing.”
