Arun Jaitley lashes out at Rahul Gandhi, Congress over partiality accusation

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today lashed out at the Congress Party's allegations of not being allowed to speak in the House by stating that there was not a single instance where they were not being allowed to raise issues.

Jaitley told reporters, "The question is why has the Congress party made an issue out of a non-issue? The reason is very clear to me. A section of the leadership of the Congress party, because of its inability to lead, has been under pressure."

Unsparing in his criticism of the party, Jaitley added, "They have been facing a palace coup. It's a coup within their own party. Day after day, established leaders of the party are speaking out. It's an internal compulsion within the party. For that, you need not drag the House or the presiding officer into the debate."

"If you want to show yourself as doing something, it will be better if you lead your own party rather than develop a contrived aggression against the functioning of the House itself, which otherwise has been functioning well," he said.

Jaitley also stressed that it was time for the Congress party to introspect itself.

A war of words has broken out today between Congress and BJP workers after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today said that said that the opinions of his party were not being heard in Parliament, and that the new government did not encourage any form of discussion over any issue.

"It is one-sided partiality that is what we are raising. I have raised my voice many times in the parliament. We are not being allowed to speak," said Gandhi.

"We are asking for discussions, but this government does not want or accept discussions. Only one man's voice is being heard," he added.

However, BJP leaders, including Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu and party general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy, came out heavily against Rahul's allegations.

Naidu said, "I won't take anyone's name, but I am sad at the way Congress is behaving in Lok Sabha. I can't understand why the Congress is behaving like this; we had agreed to discuss all issues. People have given us majority, Congress should accept the verdict or it will prove to be costly for them in future."

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, too, stated that what Gandhi had said was a result of pure frustration.

"Rahul Gandhi has spoken about the speaker which is not at all accepted. It depicts utter frustration from their part. He has given a statement against the nature of law," said Rudy.

"He is the face of the party and if he is not following the rules, it shows that they are trying to get into the frame by any means," he added.

Earlier today, upheaval prevailed in the Lok Sabha, as the Congress Party demanded a debate on rising incidents of communal violence across the country through an adjournment motion.

Leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, party MP MI Shahnawaz and party whip K C Venugopal demanded discussion on the issue, failing which they would seek suspension of Question Hour for taking up the adjournment motion.

Congress members of the Lower House were also seen pressing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to suspend the Question Hour, so that a debate on rising communal tension in various parts of the country could be initiated.