Congress disturbed by popularity of Modi, says Venkaiah Naidu

On Sushma Swaraj he says the party is very clear that she has done nothing wrong

Slamming the Congress for disrupting the Parliament as it was "disturbed" by the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today said the BJP stood firmly behind the Foreign Minister who was an "asset to the country".

"As far as Sushma Swaraj is concerned, the party is very clear that she has done nothing wrong. No illegal, no immoral act she has committed. She is one of the best performing Ministers; she is a great asset to India and to our government," Naidu said.

As the logjam in Parliament persisted with no signs of a compromise so far, Naidu said "she is ready to answer in the House, but they (opposition) don't want it."

Alleging "false propaganda" against Swaraj, he said her act in Lalit Modi's Visa case was purely on "humanitarian" grounds.

Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for calling Swaraj's act "criminal", Naidu questioned about the (Congress) regime that let Warren Anderson of Bhopal gas tragedy, Dawood Ibrahim of Mumbai blasts and Ottavio Quattrocchi of Bofors scam, out of the country.

"It has become a fashion for Congress to make such cheap comments on Prime Minister and other Ministers," he added.

Blaming Congress for letting former IPL boss Lalit Modi to go out of the country and not attempting to bring him back or prosecute him, Naidu said "after we have come (to power), ED has given him a notice."

He also said Congress was not ready for discussion and was disrupting the House as they are not able to digest the fact that they have been defeated, and "they are disturbed by the growing popularity of the Prime Minister" both nationally and internationally.

"Congress wants to tarnish the image of the Prime Minister and the government and they don't want Modi government to succeed," he alleged.

Claiming that the government was "very clean" and is not involved in any scam, he also defended Rajasthan Chief Mintier Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Miniser Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

He also pointed out charges and allegations against Congress Chief Ministers and leaders.

Naidu said as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs he is "very sad" that the Parliament is not allowed to function.