Congress leader Anand Sharma speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI photo
Ravi S.Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 26
Congress party leader Anand Sharma’s tongue-in-the-cheek question to the Bharatiya Janata Party about raising funds drew smiles from both treasury and opposition benches of the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Sharma, who is Deputy Leader of Congress Parliamentary group in the Upper House, asked BJP Members of Parliament have their party president Amit Shah to give his own party tips on how to raise money for the party.
His comment drew peals of laughter from opposition benches, and smiles from a large section from BJP members and NDA allies.
The Congress leader's wry humour was in the context of his demand for electoral reforms. He took jibe at the BJP saying it had pumped in huge money on its campaign for recently-concluded parliamentary election.
"You have won alright, but you spent a lot," Sharma said, adding that the BJP got 95 per cent of the total money accruing for contribution from public to election funds through electoral bonds.
He opposed the concept of simultaneous elections, saying it was it was both impractical and unconstitutional.
He also criticised the President's Address for giving an impression that the "country woke up" and started its development growth journey from 2014, after Narendra Modi took charge as Prime Minister.
"'Stand up, Start up, and Khelo India'. Was India sleeping before?" Sharma asked.
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