A day after the four-state poll verdicts saw the BJP seizing three Hindi heartland states and a despairing Congress finding salve in its Telangana win, the deepened fault lines between the Opposition and the Treasury benches were visible in Parliament Monday as Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Smriti Irani took on Opposition leaders during Zero Hour. “I would request that the honourable member not be in a spiteful position just because his party faced a humiliating defeat just yesterday, after the election results were announced,” Irani said, addressing the Lok Sabha Chair, referring to Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh. Suresh demanded the Government honour the late M S Swaminathan with the Bharat Ratna, contending that the Centre had disrespected the agricultural scientist as no Government representative was present at his funeral. “The government displayed their arrogant and ungrateful attitude towards the great scientist,” the Congress leader said. When he drew Irani’s attention to the issue, she shot back, saying, “I am sure once the member lays the issue at hand on the table, the appropriate minister will respond.” Separately, Dharmendra Pradhan slammed Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay who alleged that the Centre had imposed an “economic blockade” against West Bengal by “blocking” funds to key schemes. Bandyopadhyay said around Rs 18,000 crore was due to the state for central schemes such as MGNREGA, PM Awas Yojana, and National Health Mission. Hitting back, Pradhan alleged the West Bengal government had been “misappropriating” central funds, which, he said, prompted the Centre to order a CBI inquiry into the matter. “I want to mention on the floor of the House, in the PM Poshan Yojana - Mid Day Meal, they have misappropriated Rs 4,000 crore. The Government of India has ordered a CBI inquiry, everything will come out. They loot poor people's money. half of their ministers are in jail. They are scared their leadership will go to jail,” Pradhan said. “They take money meant for the poor people of West Bengal from the central government, they keep their cut money, that is the reason. All states in the country remain in the financial system, Bengal thinks it is above it, the state government thinks they are above it,” Pradhan added. Meanwhile, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked the Government to “exhaust every resource” to persuade the Qatari authorities and bring back the eight former Naval personnel who are on death row in that country. “The families of those hapless ex-Navy personnel are suffering a lot. They do not know when the Sword of Damocles will be descended upon them. They do not know the fate of those unfortunate and hapless ex-Navy personnel of our country. I know that India has a good affinity with the Government of Qatar,” Chowdhury said.
