New Delhi: There were heated arguments and counter arguments in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday over Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge being summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the National Herald's alleged money laundering case when Parliament is on.
"The House is in function. I am Leader of Opposition, and I receive summon from the ED to come early. I don't want to avoid it. But is it appropriate that I am called at a time when the proceedings are going on?" asked a livid Kharge.
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"This has been done purposefully to intimidate and demoralise us. Is this how our democracy remains alive? Or when we conduct ourselves as per the Constitution? This has been done to finish us. We will fight against it," he added.
We were again barred from raising the issue of violation of Parliamentary conventions by FM @nsitharaman & LOH @PiyushGoyal who made remarks in Rajya Sabha on Smt. Sonia Gandhi, a Lok Sabha MP.
— Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha (@LoPIndia) August 1, 2022
BJP govt can keep trying but the truth cannot be silenced in Temple of Democracy. pic.twitter.com/2TYz6KBUcD
He said this amid heated exchange of words between the opposition and the treasury benches.
Union Minister and Leader of House Piyush Goyal said the government doesn't interfere in the functioning of the law enforcement agencies.
"This may have been a the trend during their times (Congress), the government doesn't interfere. We should co-operate with them instead of running away from them," said Goyal.
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Later, senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh informed that Kharge presented himself before the ED.
"Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, was summoned by the ED when Parliament is in session. He, of course, left around 12:20 pm and presented himself. This is Modi shahi reaching new lows," he said, targeting the Prime Minister. (with Agency inputs)
