Rahul Gandhi responds to Sushma Swaraj in Parliament
Rahul Gandhi, attacked by Sushma Swaraj in her rebuttal to the Congress' charges in a Lok Sabha debate on Lalitgate, hit back not only at the foreign minister, but also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, "
The Prime Minister is not here because he does not have the guts to sit in this House."
"Mr Prime Minister, you need to speak," Mr Gandhi said, taunting PM Modi on his promise on getting back black money or untaxed money parked in foreign accounts. "Lalit Modi is nothing but a symbol of black money," he said, straining to be heard above slogans and shouts from both sides.
To Ms Swaraj he said, "Why were you so discreet about helping Lalit Modi?"
Sushma Swaraj has been accused by the Congress of misusing her office to help Lalit Modi, wanted in India for financial crimes, to get urgent travel papers last year.
Rahul Gandhi has labelled that a "crime" and demanded that she resign, but not without explaining why she concealed her assistance to the billionaire in London and "how much money was deposited in the Swaraj family account."
In her fiery speech today, Ms Swaraj told Parliament that she had committed no folly by helping tainted cricket moghul Lalit Modi. "
I repeat, I committed no mistake," Ms Swaraj said, as Congress members of the Lok Sabha chanted "
yeh nahin chalega" (this is not acceptable).
To Mr Gandhi she said, "Since you like holidaying so much, next time you take a break, I suggest you read up on your family history, read all the
kale karname (wrong deeds) and ask, '
momma, how much money did we make in the Quattrocchi case, why did we let (1984 Bhopal gas tragedy accused) Warren Anderson go? Why the quid pro quo?'"
Ms Swaraj's caustic rebuttal invoked the infamous Bofors controversy of the 80s, which embroiled Mr Gandhi's father, Rajiv, who was then Prime Minister. The scandal was based on allegation that Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors paid huge kickbacks to Rajiv Gandhi and others for the sale of an artillery gun to India. In 2004, a court in Delhi said there was no evidence that Rajiv Gandhi had accepted bribes. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991.