Fiery Sushma targets Gandhis, asks Rahul to read his family history as Parliament debate turns acerbic

Parliament on Wednesday witnessed a fiery, impassioned and acerbic debate over the Lalit Modi row with the opposition and treasury benches not only trading charges but also dragging the families of leaders into the slugfest.

The gloves were off with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj making her first detailed statement on the allegations against her and the debate saw both sides indulging in slogan shouting. As expected the Congress adjournment motion against Sushma Swaraj was defeated after the former staged a walk out from the Lok Sabha.

Dismissing all allegations against her family and self, Sushma singlehandedly took on the opposition and alleged that those who actually indulged in quid pro quo belonged to Congress with her target specifically being the Gandhi family.

Training guns against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj said that since the Gandhi scion "likes going on leaves, he should go on one and read about the history of his family".

She alleged that it was Rajiv Gandhi, the late prime minister and Rahul's father, who helped accused like former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson and Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi flee India. While Anderson, who died in the USA in 2014, was accused of not doing anything to prevent the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, Quattrocchi is named in the Bofors artillery guns scandal.

Unfazed by Sushma's spirited fightback, Rahul Gandhi asked, "I want to ask if Sushmaji carried out the request of Lalit Modi because of his wife's treatment? How much money did Lalit Modi pay Sushma's family to save himself?"

"The Congress party will not stop speaking. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he will bring back black money. Where is that black money? Lalit Modi is a symbol of black money in this country," Rahul said.

Rahul as well as Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, who started the debate, dragged Sushma's husband and daughter into the debate leading to loud protests from the BJP leaders. When it was Sushma's turn to speak, she minced no words in tearing apart the Gandhi family and other Congress leaders.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, too, hit back at the Congress, saying it had "failed to present any logical arguments in the Lalit Modi case".

Jaitley said the previous UPA government had not taken any concrete steps to bring back Lalit Modi, who is facing money laundering charges, as the Congress-led dispensation was on the "wrong route".

"The allegations are baseless. The government rejects each of theses charges (leveled by Congress) and the question of Sushmaji resigning does not arise," he said.

Jaitley on Tuesday introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Aimed at creating a customs union for India, the GST is a major tax reform aimed at boosting economic growth. Supporters say it will add up to two percentage points to economic growth.