Monsoon session: Congress demands its pound of flesh

If Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje are not sacked by the PM, the Congress would not allow the smooth functioning of the Rajya Sabha

The Opposition Congress on Tuesday made it clear that nothing short of resignation of Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, embroiled in the Lalit Modi controversy, would be acceptable to it. If the two leaders are not sacked by the PM, the Congress would not allow the smooth functioning of the Rajya Sabha.

The Congress benches ensured that no business was conducted in the Upper House on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. The party's campaign got boost after the Left parties, Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Janata Dal (United) supported the Congress' demand.

Sources indicate that should the government give in to the Opposition demand, the Congress might allow passage of the GST Bill. Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad had prevailed upon both the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party leadership, to support its demand for Swaraj's ouster reminding them that the BJP was their common enemy in UP. The SP had initially been soft on Swaraj and declined to make common cause with the Congress. Surprisingly, SP's Naresh Agarwal submitted a notice for suspension of business of the RS to take up the issue of LalitGate and demanded the resignation of the minister of external affairs.