Setback for Rahul as Congress joins debate in LS

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has granted permission for an adjournment motion proposed by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in the Lok Sabha debate over the Lalit Modi affair in which Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj is in the dock.

This is surprising, in view of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's stubborn demand that until Swaraj resigns there will be no debate and the Congress will not allow the House to be run.

A senior Congressman from South India told Rediff.com, “This is a big setback for Rahul Gandhi's strategy of stalling Parliament. Sushma has not resigned and Khargeji is speaking and debating. What does it say about our stand in this session?” 

When the monsoon session started Rahul Gandhi went on an aggressive mode and made his presence felt by insisting on 'no debate if no resignation’. But, with just two days left for the session to end, the Congress has agreed to debate the issue.

Kharge did say, while initiating Wednesday’s discussion, that the Congress would have debated Lalit Modi in the first week itself if Speaker Mahajan had allowed an adjournment motion. However, Rahul Gandhi's young team was adamant about Sushma's resignation before the House could be set in order.

In Parliament, some MPs were also pointing out the Congress's misplaced priority when instead of the Gurdaspur and Udhampur terror attacks and the state of terrorism it was debating the Lalit Modi case, the senior Congressman from a southern state said while speaking off-the-record.

Image: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in Lok Sabha.