Congress slams RSS, says Rahul didn't take allowance during leave

The Congress on Tuesday accused the RSS of "spreading lies", and said party vice president Rahul Gandhi did not draw daily allowance during the time when he did not attend parliament.

In a statement, Congress in-charge of communications department Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) dished out "latest bundle of lies" in its mouthpiece 'Organiser' and a false story appeared concerning Gandhi.

"Spreading misleading lies, mischievous canards and divisive venom has become the patented hallmark of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological guide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Unfortunately, under the BJP government, India's polity is bloodied on a daily basis by this unchecked vitriolic meted out shamelessly by the 'pracharaks' (publicists) of the RSS and the BJP," Surjewala said.

He said the salary and allowances of MPs were governed by 'The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954'.

Surjewala said Section 3 of the Act provides for payment of a salary of Rs.50,000 per month to all Lok Sabha members during their entire term of office of five years.

An MP, he said, is also entitled to an allowance Rs.2,000 for each day on which he/she is present and signs the register maintained by the parliament secretariat during the session.

Surjewala said Gandhi did not draw any daily allowance during the period when he did not attend parliament.

"To impute otherwise, as is being sought to be done by RSS in a diabolical fashion, is a patent lie," he said.

"If the RSS is still beholden to parading its lies, it would be well advised to first question the prime minister, its ministers and BJP-NDA MPs about the reasons for not forgoing pay and allowances for the period during which they did not attend Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha sessions in the 16th Lok Sabha and earlier," Surjewala said.

An article in the recent edition of Organiser claimed Gandhi was paid his salary and daily stipend during his 55-day leave of absence earlier this year.