Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Monday accused the Congress of trying to divert the attention of people from AgustaWestland scam by raising ‘unnecessary’ issues in the House after the opposition party demanded a discussion on a Comptroller and Auditor General report on the KG basin project.
"Congress party wants to divert the attention of the people from Agusta chopper scam. So they are raising unnecessary and unconcerned issues in Parliament," Naidu said outside Parliament while referring to disruptions in the Rajya Sabha.
The Congress on Monday sought a discussion on the latest report of the CAG, listing alleged irregularities in Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation’s KG basin gas project and forced three adjournments in Rajya Sabha in the pre-noon session demanding a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Naidu said it was a state matter and the Congress was raising the issue ‘at a wrong place and for the wrong reason’.
"Today in the Rajya Sabha they did not allow the House to function and Rajya Sabha was adjourned repeatedly for this. There was no reason for it," Naidu said.
He pointed out that Gujarat state petroleum corporation issue is a state subject. “The CAG has given some reports on it so according to the Constitution. The report will go to the governor. Then, the governor will ask for it to be tabled in the House, so it will go to the PAC (Public Accounts Committee). It is the law and everyone knows the rule,” he said.
Quoting the Constitution, Naidu said, "Under Article 151, the reports of CAG relating to the accounts of Centre shall be submitted to the President, then it will be laid before each House of Parliament. The rule is clear. The Congress is also aware of it."
"I hope they understand this is Parliament and not state legislature. So they are making an issue at a wrong place and for a wrong reason," he said.
Targeting the Congress for announcing gherao of Parliament, Naidu claimed the opposition party has many things to hide so it was trying to divert the issue.
"They just want to divert the burning issue because they have many skeletons in the cupboard," he said.
Questioning the Congress' intention, Naidu said, “We would like to know why they are hesitating on a discussion on Agusta scam. They are bent upon disturbing Parliament. They have given a notice for gherao of Parliament. The Opposition should insist on discussions in Parliament, but they want to gherao Parliament."
"People elect us to come to Parliament, they want to gherao Parliament. It is a political gimmick. This is part of their misinformation campaign but the country should know the facts," Naidu said.
He also said there is no link between goods and services tax and AgustaWestland issue and the GST is not in the cold storage. “We want the GST (Bill) to be passed," he said.
Naidu alleged that the Congress ‘misled the nation by saying they blacklisted the company and this government has not acted’.
"But today you must have seen in the media reports that the then Defence Minister A K Antony had himself said in 2013 while answering question in the Rajya Sabha that government has not blacklisted. It was kept on hold. The first action was taken by Arun Jaitley when he was the defence minister. Subsequently, action was pursued by this government.
"So they want to divert the attention they want to escape from criticism that is why they want to bring in unnecessary, unconcerned issues in Parliament and are stalling Parliament in order to get cheap publicity and also to defame PM," the minister said.
Lashing out at the Congress, Naidu said, “They tried their best and they have been doing it for years. But I can tell them that they will never succeed.”
