Congress to boycott PM in Parliament over raincoat jibe

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday decided to boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament for the entire Budget Session if he didn’t “apologise” for “insulting” former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Taking a jibe at Dr Singh, the PM said in the Upper House on Wednesday said that even though there were many scams during the UPA government, the former PM managed to remain clean, and that “only Dr Singh knows the art of taking a shower with a raincoat”.

The Congress on Thursday held parleys with the Left, DMK, SP and JD(U) to discuss its floor strategy. Further meetings will be held when the session resumes after a break on March 9. Congress spokesman Anand Sharma claimed that other Opposition parties “will join us in boycotting the PM”.

The first half of the Budget Session ended Thursday, and the second half will begin March 9. Proceedings were disrupted repeatedly in both Houses on Thursday as the Opposition demanded an apology from the PM for “insulting” Dr Manmohan Singh.

Defending the PM, a host of BJP ministers and leaders attacked the Congress and reminded them that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had described Mr Modi as “maut ka saudagar” (merchant of death) and other Opposition parties had “likened him (Modi) to Hitler”. For the BJP, “fun, pun and repartee” are part of parliamentary debate. As for fun, CPI(M) general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury took a dig at the BJP and the PM, saying: “Nobody has ever called the Prime Minister a fascist or Hitler in the course of the debate... although many of us do believe he has those tendencies.”

JD(U) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Yadav felt the PM “crossed the limits of decency”. Former finance minister P. Chidambaram recalled that during the US presidential election campaign Donald Trump had attacked President Barack Obama in a “vicious manner”. Mr Chidambaram then pointed out: “The day Trump was sworn in as President, he began his speech by saying: ‘My fellow Americans, President Obama, President Clinton, President Carter, President Bush and millions of people who have gathered here...’.” The former minister reminded BJP members: “That is the respect you have to show.”

Earlier, during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Congress’ leader in the House Mallikarjun Kharge tried to raise the issue but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan disallowed him, saying a matter relating to the other House cannot be raised. Congress members then trooped to the Well demanding an apology from the PM. As the Speaker continued with proceedings, the Congress members staged a walkout. In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress and other Opposition parties forced an adjournment of the House twice, demanding an apology from Mr Modi. The Congress members shouted “shame, shame” as its MPs lashed out at the PM for “using abusive language against Dr Singh”.