Congress anger over PM Narendra Modi's Pakistan jibe at Manmohan Singh continues stalling Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha won't convene again till 11 am on Wednesday. The Upper House has been adjourned, as the Congress continues to demand that PM Modi apologise for his remarks about Manmohan Singh and Pakistan.

IndiaToday.in  | Edited by Ganesh Kumar Radha Udayakumar
New Delhi, December 22, 2017 | UPDATED 13:30 IST

Highlights

  • 1
    Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am Wednesday
  • 2
    Congress wants Modi to apologise for accusing Manmohan of collusion with Pakistan
  • 3
    Manmohan had responded to Modi in a statement before the Gujarat vote

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till Wednesday, as a furious Congress continues to demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise for insinuating that his predecessor, Manmohan Singh, colluded with Pakistani officials.

Congress leader Anand Sharma had asked that the Upper House of Parliament, whose Winter Session is in progress after a controversial delay, be adjourned till 2:30 pm today.

The Rajya Sabha is now expected to reconvene at 11 am on Wednesday. (It's worth noting that Monday is Christmas, and Parliament wasn't scheduled to work on that day, anyway)   

Yesterday, a frustrated Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu tried many times to calm down Opposition lawmakers who raised a hue and cry over Modi's allegation: that Manmohan Singh and other Indian leaders attended a "secret meeting" at suspended Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence. He insinuated that that Singh and Aiyar met Pakistani diplomats and officials to influence the Gujarat Assembly election, which his party, the BJP, eventually won.

Looking on was Sachin Tendulkar, who was all set to make his debut speech in the Rajya Sabha. But all the Bharat Ratna awardee could do was stand and smile, as Congress MPs shouted what sounded like, "pradhan mantri sabha mein aao," - or "Prime Minister, come to the House."

"Dr. Manmohan Singh ji's integrity and loyalty to the country has been questioned. PM should come in the house and make it clear," Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

In the past week, the Congress has disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha, too.

Before counting day in the Gujarat election, Manmohan Singh responded to Modi's accusations in a statement. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable," he said.

And he shot back a request for information. He asked why Modi invited "the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic air base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan."

"I sincerely hope that Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points," Manmohan Singh said.

(Inputs from India Today reporters Jitendra Bahadur Singh and Poulomi Saha)

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