Cong to boycott V K Singh in Parliament

Escalating its confrontation on the V K Singh dog analogy issue, Congress today decided to boycott the Union minister in both Houses of Parliament for his remark in the wake of burning to death of two Dalit children in Haryana.
Sources said a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of senior leaders and party MPs held by party Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
This was the first such meeting held by Rahul in the absence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is in the US for a medical checkup.
Party's senior spokesman Anand Sharma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given assurances that he would be taking action against colleagues whose conduct is against established constitutional principles and practices.

Sharma said Modi should have recommended Singh's removal to the President by taking cognisance of his remarks.
Congress had created a ruckus in the Lok Sabha yesterday seeking action against Singh. It had staged a walkout. The Trinamool Congress and the Left too had attacked the minister.

At that time, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had complained that the government during the debate on intolerance did not touch upon the remarks made by Singh about Dalits. He had also asked Modi, who was then present in the House, as to what action he planned to take against Singh.

Rajya Sabha today saw a clash between government and Opposition after BSP and Congress opposed the presence of Singh and demanded his dismissal from the government.
During the Vajpayee government, Congress had boycotted the then Defence Minister George Fernandes in Parliament on the issue of the coffin scam.
Government managers have been insisting that Singh had not made any such comment about Dalits and there is no reason for the Opposition to raise the issue again and again.