Tainted ministers must resign for House to function, Congress tells BJP

NEW DELHI: Congress will not allow Parliament to function till the ministers whose names have surfaced in Lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam resign, party leader Ashwani Kumar said today, stressing that it was opposition's right "to oppose, expose and depose" the government.

The Congress MP said that the responsibility of running Parliament is of the ruling party and not the opposition.

"We have clearly stated our strategy. Till the time, the ministers give their resignation, Parliament will not function. Running Parliament is the responsibility of the ruling party and not the opposition.

"It is the right and responsibility of the opposition to oppose, expose and depose the government," the former Union Minister said.

Parliament's proceedings in the first week of the Monsoon Session have been a complete wash-out, with both Houses adjourning yesterday till Monday without transacting any business as the deadlock between the opposition and the ruling party persisted over issues like the Lalit Modi controversy and the Vyapam scam.

The opposition, led by the Congress, remained unrelenting on its demand for resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly helping controversial former IPL chief Lalit Modi and of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Vyapam admission and recruitment scam.

Kumar said BJP should use the same benchmarks which they had kept when UPA was in power.

"We have said that whatever criteria you had kept for us, use for yourself as well. During our time, there was no allegation and there was no proof. Here, there is a confession. Both the ministers have accepted.

"Then where is the question of any discussion? This is our political stand and till now the stand stays," Kumar said.

Since the session began on July 21, both Houses have been witnessing adjournments every day following sloganeering and verbal exchanges between the ruling and opposition side.