Modi’s ‘scam India’ remark riles Oppn in Rajya Sabha

Girja Shankar Kaura

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 28

Members of the Opposition led by the Congress today forced the washout of the morning session of the Rajya Sabha after heated exchanges with the treasury benches over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks during his recent three-nation tour that he wanted to clean the dirt of 60 years.

Wanting Prime Minister Modi to give answers for his remarks the Opposition members forced three adjournments in the pre-lunch session.

Raising the issue soon after the House met, Congress leader Anand Sharma said the comments made by the Prime Minister were an insult to the nation. He was supported by the entire opposition.

“PM said some things which need clarification... All Prime Ministers maintained a tradition... when they go out they go as the Prime Minister of the nation. Opposition also follows a tradition, when Prime Minister is out of nation opposition does not criticize him,” Sharma said.

“In Canada he said India was ‘scam India’... India cannot be a scam. There can be some mistake but country cannot be scam. He said it is dirt of 60 years he is responsible for cleaning. He reduced dignity of his post and he has insulted every previous PM,” said Sharma, who had also given a notice to suspend the House business for a discussion on the issue.

“He goes out of the country as the PM of India not as a BJP leader,” said Sharma, even as ruling party members protested.

Sharma was joined by Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati, Trinamool Congress leader Sukhendu Shekhar Roy and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Tapan Kumar Sen who all objected to the language used by the Prime Minister during the recent foreign tours.

However, rejecting the Opposition charge that Modi was lowering the dignity” of the country by making such remarks abroad, Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Prime Minister was “perfectly entitled” to say that his government will break away from what happened in last 60 years and give a clean government.

He also took potshots at both the Janata Dal (United) and the CPM wondering whether they thought that India was not defamed by “acts of corruption” but by referring to those acts.

“I am surprised with this new-found dialectics of the morals of the CPM. According to this new ideology ...India is not defamed by acts of corruption. India is defamed only when you refer to the acts of corruption,” he said.

Jaitley said if the comments of Prime Minister are discussed, the scams too will have to be discussed.

“PM makes a statement we are trying to clean up decision making process. I understand the Congress is upset with cleaning up,” Jaitley said adding, “If we discuss it, all scams that happened in last 60 years will be discussed”.