Uproar over PM Modi’s ‘raincoat’ barb against Manmohan Singh
NEW DELHI : Both Houses of Parliament on Thursday witnessed uproarious scenes after the Congress-led opposition members demanded an apology from the government over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘raincoat’ barb against his predecessor Manmohan Singh made yesterday.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma condemned the PM and called his comments ”shameful”. Opposition parties including CPI-M, AIADMK and TMC too joined Congress in protest against the PM Modi.The opposition members also reached the Well of the House in Rajya Sabha and shouted anti-government slogans.
In view of the pandemonium, the two Houses were adjourned briefly. The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 11.30 am after Opposition uproar and Rajya Sabha till 12 noon.
Setting the stage for an ugly showdown with the Centre, the main opposition party had earlier demanded the suspension of proceedings in both houses of Parliament over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘raincoat’ barb against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.
Several Opposition parties too extended their support to the Congress on the issue. Leading the Congress charge against PM Modi, its vice president Rahul Gandhi had demanded that Narendra Modi should apologise for his ‘ugly remark’ against Manmohan Singh.
It is unbecoming of a PM to use such language for a former PM, said his Congress party colleague P Chidambaram.An angry Congress last night demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise for his “ugly remark” against former premier Manmohan Singh or else it would not let the Rajya Sabha function.
After walking out of the House in protest, Deputy Leader of Opposition Anand Sharma, P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal condemned Modi’s attack on Singh as “most unacceptable”. The former finance minister said Congress was “very very angry” over the remark and could have shouted down the PM during his reply to the President’s address.
The Congress threat of blockade threatens to revert Parliament back to the chaos of the winter session. But for the moment, it may hurt business only on Thursday after which the two Houses go into a month-long break.
Calling the PM arrogant, Sibal said Modi had conveyed that he would not come to the House for his reply till deputy leader of opposition Anand Sharma had finished his speech.”He should know he is everybody’s PM, including ours. The post he occupies has dignity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu rejecting the main opposition party’s demand for an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “raincoat” remark in parliament about his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh.”It is the Congress which should tender an unconditional apology for not respecting the PM and parliament,” Mr Naidu said on Thursday morning.
Angry Congress lawmakers had protested noisily and then walked out in the middle of the Prime Minister’s reply to a discussion in the Rajya Sabha when he said, “there is not a single black mark against him despite all the corruption. Only Doctor Saab knows how to bathe with a raincoat in the bathroom.” He was referring to the corruption scandals that emerged during the previous Congress-led UPA government’s term.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi called the comment “saddening and shameful” and his party has said it will not allow the Prime Minister to speak in parliament till he apologises.
“When a Prime Minister reduces himself to ridiculing his predecessor, years his senior, he hurts the dignity of the parliament and the nation…He demeans his position and himself more than anyone else,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.Dr Singh who was present in the house and walked out with other members, said he did not wish to respond to the PM.
The Prime Minister was defending the notes ban, outlining his government’s commitment to fighting corruption and black money, when he referred to Dr Singh. He recalled Dr Singh’s criticism of the demonetisation drive as “organised loot and legalised plunder,” and said, “If you use words like loot and plunder, you should know we can pay back in the same coin.”
The Budget session started last week and parliament will break for a recess on Friday. It will reconvene on March 9 and will continue till April 12.
