Not easy for Sonia Gandhi to give a speech without reading it from paper: Smriti Irani

NEW DELHI: Reacting to Congress president Sonia Gandhi's 'drama' jibe on Sushma Swaraj, Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani on Friday dared Congress to find one proof against the external affairs minister.

"Sushma ji's speech is a challenge for the Opposition to get proof against her. Do they (Congress) want to say that Parliament is a stage? Calling an elected leader's speech theatrics is disrespecting the mandate of the people," Irani told reporters.

Sonia Gandhi had dismissed Swaraj's emotional appeal in Parliament as mere theatrics. "Sushma is an expert in theatrics," the UPA chairperson told reporters, reacting to Swaraj's plea that she had done nothing wrong in the Lalit Modi case.

"Sonia ji's statement just proves that Congress does not want discussion on development, they want only disruption," Irani said. "It's easy for Sonia ji to give a byte, not easy for her to give a speech without reading it out from a paper," Irani added in a direct attack on the UPA chairperson.

Swaraj, who is facing Opposition fire over her alleged request to the UK government to allow Modi to travel to Portugal, made an emotional statement in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. She said she acted keeping in mind Modi's wife's 'life-threatening' ailment and wondered what Sonia Gandhi would have done in the same situation.

Trashing her appeal, an unimpressed Sonia Gandhi said: "I would have done my best to help the lady but not by breaking the law."

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also upped the ante against Swaraj, saying her 'humanitarian' argument is hollow and falls flat. "There is ample proof that the minister aided a criminal," said Rahul.