Expect statesmanship from Cong in resolving Parliament logjam: Jaitley

Accusing the Congress of holding Parliament to "ransom" by obstructing its proceedings, the government today said the opposition party should display some statesmanship and allow it to function.

"A small minority should not hold the House to ransom and obstruct the proceedings. The Congress party has ruled the country for a very long time and we expect a certain amount of statesmanship from it," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters outside Parliament.

He said the Congress should first discuss the issues that have agitated it inside Parliament.

Jaitley rejected Sonia Gandhi's charge that government was using its numerical strength as a "source of arrogance rather than responsibility" by trying to "substitute investigation by mere discussion" and said Parliamentary majority indicates a popular mandate and support and not arrogance.

"Quite to the contrary, those rejected by the electorate and now constituting microscopic minority in the House, if they utilise just the lung power to disturb the House, it only means that they are not honouring the popular mandate and they do not want a popularly elected government to discharge that mandate," he said.

Jaitley defended External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's statement in Rajya Sabha on the opposition charge that she helped former IPL boss Lalit Modi get travel papers from the UK government, saying "She has a right to respond".

"There is absolutely no basis in comparing what happened in the 2G case and the present case," he said, referring to the disruptions of Parliament's proceedings by BJP then, and added that the CAG report had substantiated all allegations made by the opposition and the CBI registered an FIR.

"Her reply caused desperation in Congress. That's why the opposition party wanted her statement expunged from records," he said.