New Delhi, Apr 28,(PTI) : Members from Opposition and treasury benches had a heated exchange of words in Rajya Sabha today over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on foreign soil that he wanted to clean the dirt of 60 years forcing three adjournments in the pre-lunch session.
Rejecting the Opposition charge that Modi was lowering the dignity" of the country by making such remarks abroad, Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Prime Minister was "perfectly entitled" to say that his government will break away from what happened in last 60 years and give a clean government.
He also took potshots at both Janata Dal (United) and CPI(M) wondering whether they thought that India is not defamed by "acts of corruption" but by referring to those acts.
Congress Deputy Leader Anand Sharma raised the issue through a notice for suspension of business under rule 267 to discuss Modi's remarks in Germany and Canada alleging that the Prime Minister lowered the prestige and dignity of the country, a contention which was supported by members from other Opposition parties including Sharad Yadav of JD-U.
Vehemently countering the charge, Jaitley while he can understand the Congress benches getting upset with the talk of cleaning up corruption, he was suprised at the remarks of JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and those of the CPI-M leaders. "I am surprised with this new-found dialectics of the morals of the CPI-M. According to this new ideology ...India is not defamed by acts of corruption. India is defamed only when you refer to the acts of corruption," he said.
Jaitley said "the member (Anand Sharma) and others must realise that in today's technology whether you discuss the scam in India or outside in Berlin, internet will take it everywhere in the world. The satellite will take it everywhere. So even if you discuss it here, people all over the world will see it.
"So don't be touchy about the fact that it is not discussed here and it is discussed outside." Taking a dig at Yadav, he said he wanted to remind him that all socialist leaders of the country used to attack the then Congress government on "violation of human rights" whenever they visited abroad.
"The leaders whose legacy you represent had campaigned against it in the whole world...I am surprised all those who were with us on the issue of corruption since the '60s are now bothered why are we discussing the issue," Jaitley said.
He said the government was ready for a debate on the issue as the discussion will naturally entail a discussion on all "scams" that happened in last sixty years.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien rejected the demand for suspension of Question Hour saying members could discuss the issue under other available proceedures. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the government was ready to discuss all scams in the past 60 years, for which they should give notice."Their's has been a government full of scams for past 60 years and we are ready to discuss all scams," he said.
Jaitley said "the member (Anand Sharma) and others must realise that in today's technology whether you discuss the scam in India or outside in Berlin, internet will take it everywhere in the world. The satellite will take it everywhere. So even if you discuss it here, people all over the world will see it.
"So don't be touchy about the fact that it is not discussed here and it is discussed outside."
Taking a dig at Yadav, he said he wanted to remind him that all socialist leaders of the country used to attack the then Congress government on "violation of human rights" whenever they visited abroad.
"The leaders whose legacy you represent had campaigned against it in the whole world...I am surprised all those who were with us on the issue of corruption since the '60s are now bothered why are we discussing the issue," Jaitley said.
He said the government was ready for a debate on the issue as the discussion will naturally entail a discussion on all "scams" that happened in last sixty years.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien rejected the demand for suspension of Question Hour saying members could discuss the issue under other available proceedures.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the government was ready to discuss all scams in the past 60 years, for which they should give notice.
"Their's has been a government full of scams for past 60 years and we are ready to discuss all scams," he said.
The House saw two brief adjournments due to slogan- shouting by opposition members within the first hour after it assembled for the day.
Amid a heated exchange of words between the treasury and the Opposition benches, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, disallowed the suspension of Question Hour. But when Congress members trooped into the Well raising slogans like "PM Hosh Me Aayo" and "Pradhan Mantri Jawaab do", he adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
After the House reassmbled, the Congress members remained unrelenting, forcing Ansari to adjourn the House for 15 minutes again.
The Opposition members, after the House assembled again, continued to object to the remarks of Jaitley and Naqvi in defence of the Prime Minister, with the Leader of the House defending Modi saying that "obviously the Prime Minister is entitled to say this....the discussion here is do not discuss what happened in last sixty years.
Seeking a reply from the Prime Minister for "showing India down" during his foreign trip, Anand Sharma (Cong) said "let me make one thing clear. What we are saying, there have been enough discussions on scams. My objection is to the conduct of the Prime Minister. We have strong objection to his remarks. He is not a member of this House and only he can answer."
Chairman Hamid Ansari said "the Minister has said, you give notice and you can discuss." However, as the din continued, Ansari adjourned the House for the third time till 2 PM.
Earlier, Sharma said he had given notice under rule 267 for suspension of business to discuss statements made by the Prime Minister abroad which he claimed had lowered prestige of the country.
"Right from first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, it has been a tradition that whenever Prime Ministers visit abroad, they go as Prime of the country and say things that enhance the prestige and status of the country," he said.
Similarly, opposition parties don't criticise Prime Minister when his abroad, he said, adding that this tradition has been violated when Modi visited Germany, France and Canada this month.
Referring to Modi's reported statement in Germany that India used to go with a begging bowl for a permanent seat on UN Security Council and will not do so now on, the Congress leader said India had never begged before anyone.
His statement was angrily countered by Minister of State Naqvi who said such sweeping statements will not be allowed and Sharma should state where such remarks were made.
But Sharma went on to say that Modi had in Toronto stated that "earlier it was 'scam India' and now it is 'skill India'. "India cannot be a scam. Country cannot be a scam. There can be mistakes made but the country cannot be termed scam," he said, adding Modi had stated that he wants to clean the "gandagi" (dirt) of 60 years.
"Prime Minister had maligned the country's image and has lowered its prestige... he has insulted every Prime Minister before him including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Sharma said.
Prime Minister, he said, goes as the head of the country and not as a leader of a political party.
Sharma's remarks were repeatedly interrupted by treasury benches with Bhupendra Singh (BJP) saying any member can use rule 267 to seek suspension of work if there were no other provision available to seek discussion.
He said Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad has brought a call attention motion on the same subject and he was moving another motion to suspend that motion.
The Deputy Chairman said Sharma had given a notice under rule 267 yesterday and repeated it today and he has permitted him to raise speak on the admissibility of the motion so that the Chair can decide whether to admit it or reject it.
Azad said as a junior minister, when he was first nominated to attend an international law ministers conference in Colombia in 1982-83, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had instructed him to see that the country's pride is not compromised and he does not say anything against anyone.
But Modi's speeches in Germany and Canada have lowered the prestige of the country. "I demand that Prime Minister come to the House and reply to these questions," he said.
Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said in a democracy there could be difference of opinion among parties but when it came to foreign policy there is unanimity.
"Never in the history of India have the differences been taken outside the country," he said.
When Vinay Katiyar interrupted him to say that Modi was addressing Indian diaspora in Canada, Yadav shot back saying he would never be made a minister in the Modi government. Naqvi remarked how could Yadav support corruption of Congress.
Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) said the established tradition has been deviated for the first time by Modi. Prime Minister's visit to United Nations is followed by visit of MPs in two batches but for the first time this has been stopped, he said.
"If Prime Minister goes abroad and talks of "kachra" (dirt) of past 60 years, then he is also talking about Atal Bihari Vajpayee's rule," he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said members are going into the merit of the issue when the Chair has not admitted the notice.
The entire country and the world is appreciating Modi. "Let us not defame our country's Prime Minister," he said.
Mayawati (BSP) said Modi should taken inspiration from Vajpayee who never did anything that would defame or lower prestige of the country.
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) said when the country is being defamed, it was prerogative of members to discuss the issue. Tapan Sen (CPM) also said the notice should be accepted.