The Rajya Sabha witnessed five adjournments in the pre-lunch session as proceedings continued to be disrupted by slogan-shouting opposition members, particulary the Congress.
With Congress baying for his blood, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday has said that he will stepdown from his post if he is proven to be guilty.
"I am ready to quit as Minister as well as MP if charges of corruption against me are found correct," said Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Earlier in the day, demand for Gadkari's resignation generated much heat in Parliament, stalling proceedings of the Rajya Sabha for the third straight day while witnessing a walkout of Congress and Left parties over the issue. The Rajya Sabha witnessed as many as five adjournments in the pre-lunch session, while it witnessed uproar in the Lok Sabha with Congress members wanting Gadkari to "relinquish" his ministership over CAG report alleging irregularities in loan to his family-linked firm.
Yesterday, in the Parliament, Gadkari had said, "My respectful submission before this august House is that let us follow the established procedure in the matter of CAG reports and if any wrong-doing is established by the PAC, which will be discussing the CAG report in due course of time, the law should take its own course. The CAG has nowhere named me as a wrong-doer nor there is any adverse comment against me. There is neither any indictment nor any charge of corruption or misappropriation against me of the PSKL. The Audit report alleges lapses/irregularities in procedures followed by IREDA, which were explained in detail by IREDA and comments of the CAG are not acceptable to IREDA."
In the Lok Sabha, the issue was raised by Deepender Hooda of the Congress who said that the CAG report showed serious financial irregularities leading to a loss of Rs 12.7 crore to public exchequer. Amid strong protests from the BJP, he demanded a probe into the findings of the CAG report and till that time Gadkari should "relinquish" his office.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu claimed that there has been "no wrongdoing" and it was a normal CAG report which goes to the Public Accounts Committee for its examination. Naidu said the CAG report deals with what had happened in an earlier government and there was no personal involvement of anyone. Dissatisfied with the government's response, Congress and Left parties staged a walkout.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed five adjournments in the pre-lunch session as proceedings continued to be disrupted by slogan-shouting opposition members, particulary the Congress. Barely had the listed papers been laid on the table, Congress members were up on their feet demanding suspension of business to discuss the CAG report, forcing two adjournments before noon.
Reacting to the continued disruptions, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley charged the Congress with not allowing the House to function as it does not want certain Bills to be passed. "Internal compulsions of Congress party should not become compulsion of the House," he said adding there was no basis for suspending business.
(With Agency Inputs)
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