File Photo: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (AFP Photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "God's gift to the nation" and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj a national "asset", Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today, dismissing Congress demands for her resignation.
Effusive in his praise of PM Modi, Mr naidu said he was "God's gift to the nation". It was under PM Modi's leadership that the country has achieved successes like the Indo-Bangla land boundary accord and the Naga peace deal. It is because of him that Australia and Canada were willing to provide uranium for India's nuclear reactors, he said.
"Modi is 3D," he said, and went on to explain that three Ds stood for "decisiveness, dynamism and development".
Sushma Swaraj, he said, was a "great asset to the nation". The government was willing to walk the extra mile to end the two-week long stalemate in Parliament, and Ms Swaraj is also ready to answer all questions in the House, but Congress is refusing to debate the issue, Mr Naidu said.
The 66-year-old dismissed Congress's demand for resignations of Ms Swaraj, Rajasthan chief minister, Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan over their alleged involvement in Lalit-gate and Vyapam scam.
Defending the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's decision to suspend 25 Congress lawmakers from Parliament on Monday for five days, the minister cited previous examples including that of 1989 when 63 lawmakers were suspended.
He also countered allegations of Congress that the "Gujarat model" was being imposed in Parliament. Mr Naidu said, "Was there any Gujarat model in 1989... They should not give any sermons. It is a case of 'sau chuhe khake billi haj ko chali (after committing many sins, they are pretending to be holy)."
He was speaking at an event organised by the BJP youth wing, where he stressed on the need to counter the "disinformation campaign" of the Congress in blaming BJP for not reaching out to the Opposition to end the logjam in Parliament.