Will yield only if Sushma discloses her dealings: Rahul Gandhi

“Please explain to the country and the people of India, how much money from Lalit Modi has come into your bank account and that of your family? Please simply disclose this and the House will function,” Rahul Gandhi said. (Source: PTI file photo)

Rahul Gandhi said Monday his party will allow Parliament to function only after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj discloses her family’s financial transactions with former IPL chief Lalit Modi, even as he hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan while ignoring the allegations against them.

“We also agree that Parliament must function. But we have raised a basic issue,” Rahul said. “We have said, and I have said it three times, Sushma Swaraj ji, the chief minister of Rajasthan and the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh have carried out some illegal acts. In Madhya Pradesh there are murders happening and our Prime Minister does not feel it necessary to comment on them. He praises the chief ministers. He completely ignores the fact that the future of thousands of people in Madhya Pradesh has been destroyed by his chief minister. He completely ignores the fact that there is a business relationship between a criminal and his chief minister of Rajasthan.”

About Sushma, Rahul said it “was nice to hear her speech in Parliament about how one should be very kind to Lalit Modi and should be charitable to him”. “You want to be kind, you want to be charitable, why do it in secret. Why hide, why not tell your whole ministry, why not tell the whole country you are doing it,” he said.

“Please explain to the country and the people of India, how much money from Lalit Modi has come into your bank account and that of your family? Please simply disclose this and the House will function.”

Asked if the Congress was isolated in Parliament due to its protests, he said, “We are not isolated.”

Rahul also raised the special status demanded for Andhra Pradesh, saying it is the right of the people of the state and the Centre must act on it soon.

“The Congress party is fighting for special status of Andhra Pradesh and it is very sad that the government of India is ignoring what is the right of the people of Andhra Pradesh. This is not a favour that is being done to the people of Andhra Pradesh. This was promised to them and it is about time the Government of India took action and delivered the special status to Andhra Pradesh,” Rahul said.