Rajya Sabha Chairman tries to break impasse over Modi's Pakistan comments

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday called a meeting of party leaders of the house in a bid to break the impasse that has led to repeated disruptions, as Congress continued its protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Pakistan remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have faced disruptions over the issue, and on Tuesday, Congress staged a walkout in the lower house as it was not allowed to raise the matter. Congress MPs also boycotted the post-lunch sitting of the Lok Sabha over the issue.

Congress' deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said Congress presented its points in the meeting, and is waiting for the government's response.

"We have given our proposition, we are waiting for government's response... whether the justifiable demand of the opposition is acceptable to the Prime Minister," Sharma told reporters.

Modi, during the campaign for Gujarat assembly polls, had claimed that during a meeting at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house, the guests including Manmohan Singh, discussed the Gujarat polls with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India and former Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.

Congress has been demanding an apology from Modi.

"We can only request, it is upto them to redeem what they can redeem," said Sharma, also adding that his paty is not trying to score any "brownie points".

--IANS

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